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Indian nutraceutical sector poised for sustained growth
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Tuesday, 04 August, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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Indian nutraceutical sector is poised for sustained growth as consumers increasingly prioritize wellness and preventive healthcare. However, realizing its full potential will require a balanced regulatory framework that safeguards public health while encouraging scientific innovation and global competitiveness, stated Dr Satish Singh, DGM regulatory affairs, Zeon Lifesciences Ltd.
Dr Satish Singh stated that companies that proactively invest in regulatory compliance, quality assurance and scientific validation will be better positioned to earn consumer trust, expand into international markets and contribute to the long-term development of India's nutraceutical ecosystem.
"The Indian nutraceutical industry has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade, fuelled by increasing consumer awareness of preventive healthcare, rising disposable incomes, changing dietary habits and an aging population. India has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing nutraceutical markets, offering a wide range of products including dietary supplements, functional foods, probiotics, herbal formulations and medical nutrition. While this growth presents immense business opportunities, it also brings significant regulatory and compliance challenges for manufacturers striving to meet evolving domestic and international standards," added Dr Satish Singh.
Dr Singh stated that major challenge lies in the stringent regulations governing health claims. Nutraceutical companies are prohibited from making therapeutic or disease-curing claims unless supported by robust scientific evidence.
While this approach is essential to protect consumers from misleading advertisements, generating the required scientific substantiation through clinical studies, safety assessments and published literature is both time consuming and expensive. Smaller companies and start-ups often face resource constraints in meeting these evidentiary requirements, limiting their ability to compete with larger, established manufacturers.
Dr Singh added, "Policymakers also have an important role in creating an enabling regulatory environment. Harmonizing Indian regulations with internationally accepted standards, streamlining approval pathways and timelines for novel ingredients, strengthening laboratory infrastructure and market surveillance, enhancing regulatory capacity through digital systems and specialized training and encouraging industry academia collaboration would improve regulatory efficiency without compromising consumer safety. Transparent stakeholder consultations during regulatory revisions would also help ensure that evolving regulations remain practical, science-based, and innovation-friendly."
Labelling and advertising compliance have also become increasingly important as regulators intensify oversight of product information and promotional practices. Companies must accurately declare ingredient composition, nutritional values, recommended usage, cautionary statements and allergen information while ensuring that all marketing claims comply with FSSAI's Advertising and Claims Regulations.
Dr Singh added that export-oriented nutraceutical companies face an additional layer of complexity due to differences in regulatory requirements across international markets. Variations between Indian and international Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), ingredient approvals, contaminant limits, labelling standards and permissible health claims often require manufacturers to develop market specific formulations and packaging.
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