|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
In south Asia, India major contributor in nutra
|
|
Monday, 13 April, 2026, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
|
|
Dr Sharad Prakash Pandey
|
Nutraceuticals are revered as foods, food components, or materials that have nutrient as well as medicinal or other health benefits. Basically, they can be considered as intermediates between food and pharmaceuticals and can be categorised as dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, amino acids), functional foods (Iron fortified cereals, fortified milk), functional beverages (Energy drinks, fortified juices, probiotic drinks) and herbal materials (Coriander, Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric).
In the past few decades, the nutraceutical industry has shown tremendous growth and has emerged as billion-dollar market worldwide. The nutraceutical market was valued at approx. 32 billion USD in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 75.8 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of approximately 10% in India for 2025 to 2033 and approximately 400 billion USD globally in 2026 with a CAGR of approximately 9% percent.
India holds a significant position in the global nutraceutical market, with an estimated market value of approximately USD 30.4 billion in 2024 and a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% from 2025 to 2030. In India, government initiatives such as the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, the introduction of standardised trade codes, and favourable regulatory frameworks have played a crucial role in strengthening its position in the global nutraceutical market.
The increasing demands of protein supplements, immunity boosters, herbal products, have converted this segment into major global industry. This growth is driven by increasing health awareness, rising lifestyle-related diseases, regulatory improvements, product innovation, and growing interest in personalised nutrition. Among the various segments, alone in South East Asia the dietary supplements dominated with a 46.9% market share, while weight management applications and offline distribution channels held the largest shares in their respective categories. Furthermore, the popularity of traditional systems like Ayurveda has given wings to this market, especially during and post period of Covid-19. The paradigm shift towards the preventive healthcare system is another important driving force.
In the south Asian region, India is the major contributor in the nutraceutical segments and Indian companies possess approximately 9.2 % of the global share in nutraceutical market. Thousands of companies are working in the nutraceutical sector with major players like Dabur, Himalaya, Patanjali, Dr Reddy, Cipla and Cadilla.
Leading nutraceutical companies those are working in India offer a diverse portfolio of products targeting immunity, nutrition, and overall wellness. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories focuses on medical nutrition and wellness with products such as the Celevida range (for blood sugar and weight management), CeleHealth Kidz gummies, Curehealth, Melotryp, Becozic, Rebalanzec. Himalaya Wellness emphasises herbal and Ayurvedic formulations, including Ashwagandha, Liv.52 (for liver health), Septilin (for immunity), and Triphala (for digestion). Patanjali’s Nutrela range includes multivitamins, omega fatty acids, sports nutrition supplements, herbal tablets, and functional gummies. Cipla provides a mix of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, including multivitamins (Maxirich), probiotics (Unobiotics), calcium supplements (Cipcal), and hydration products. Cadila Pharmaceuticals focuses on specialised nutraceuticals such as cognitive health supplements, digestive enzymes, iron formulations, and antioxidants. Dabur, a leader in Ayurvedic nutraceuticals, offers a wide range of products including Chyawanprash, herbal immunity boosters, digestive aids like Hajmola, premium supplements under the Siens range, and nutritional foods like honey and ghee.
America-based companies operating in India, such as Amway (India) with its Nutrilite brand, offer plant-based protein supplements, multivitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and herbal products like Ashwagandha and Brahmi, while Herbalife India specialises in weight management and nutritional products such as Formula 1 shakes, protein powders, and multivitamin formulations.
The prevalence of chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease has increased nowadays. Nutraceuticals may play a vital role in the management of these conditions. Recent trends indicate that the public is increasingly focusing on cardiovascular health, bone health, gut health, and cognitive health. This shift has led to a growing market for omega-3 supplements, vitamin-based products (especially vitamin D), probiotics, and nootropic compounds.
The emergence of various e-commerce platforms, health apps, and digital marketing has effectively promoted the use of nutraceutical products by providing information and ensuring easy accessibility. The government is also promoting the importance of nutraceuticals for public health and well-being by implementing various awareness programmes and schemes such as Eat Right India Movement, Poshan Abhiyaan, south Asia nutrition knowledge initiative (SANI).
However, the nutraceutical industry is also facing several challenges, probably due to the lack of specific and uniform regulation across different countries, which may raise quality and safety concerns as well. Limited clinical evidence, high R&D cost, misleading advertisements, adulteration in the products, and self-medication guidance without any proper guidance or proper health checkups are some other major concerns that need to be addressed properly. Sometimes, an illusionary mindset among consumers that these products are completely safe and free from adverse effects under all conditions can create serious issues, raising concerns about their quality and safety, and ultimately affecting the credibility of the entire market.
Thus, enhancing consumer awareness, establishing robust quality guidelines, implementing well-developed testing procedures, and generating sufficient clinical evidence on safety and efficacy are critical factors that must be addressed to ensure the sustained growth of the nutraceutical market.
In recent years, personalised nutrition is emerging as a key trend, where products are tailored according to an individual’s genetic profile, lifestyle, and health status. At the same time, advancements in use of delivery systems such as liposomes, pro-liposomes and other colloidal carriers which have ability to encapsulate these nutraceuticals leading to the increased stability, improved bioavailability and targeted delivery of nutraceuticals have also shown the significant impact on the market growth of Nutraceuticals. The demand of health and fitness products have also been increased along with nutrition-based cosmetics like formulation containing collagen and antioxidants.
There is also a growing preference for natural and plant-based products, including herbal and organic ingredients. Additionally, it is assumed that technological integration, including artificial intelligence and data analytics, for the development, quality checks and health monitoring of such products may play a major role in overall growth.
In conclusion, the shift from medication to preventive healthcare is becoming the integral part of managing lifestyle disease. It is assumed that the nutraceutical industry will witness the significant growth in coming decades. However, the need of strong and uniform regulations, well developed R&D, well defined evaluation parameters for quality control and clinical evaluation of nutraceuticals is of utmost importance for developing it as key pillar for healthcare system.
(The author is assistant professor, Department of Pharmacy, Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology & Science-MP)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|