|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is it possible to turn $100 bn nutra dream into reality by 2047?
|
|
Friday, 29 August, 2025, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
|
|
Amit Srivastava
|
The nutraceutical industry in India is about to shift. People have never sought functional foods, dietary supplements, and health therapies that keep issues from happening more than they do now. There are more people who care about their health, the population is changing, and global supply chains are moving. The industry may be worth $100 billion by 2047 if the right things happen. But this path won't be set by what people want. Geopolitics, norms and regulations, and ecosystems for innovation will all have an effect on it.
The state of global geopolitics and India's role
Global health supply chains have been screwed up a lot over the past ten years. The first thing that happened was the outbreak, and then there were problems with trade. The most recent political conflicts have occurred in the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia. Because of these problems, it's clear that we need to get our parts from different areas and have strong places to produce things. India might be a true alternative because it has a lot of different flora and animals, a strong farming foundation, and cheap manufacturing.
Just because you have a chance doesn't mean you'll be the best at what you do. There are a lot of competitors in China, Europe, and US that already have nutraceutical centres. There are already well-established research networks in US and EU. On the other side, China has spent a lot of money on linking its supply chains and reaching out to people all over the world. To become a global supplier, India needs to make intellectual property rights stronger, make quality standards explicit, and create trust in how rules are enforced in other nations. It will also be very important to establish strong trading ties with ASEAN, Africa, the Middle East, and developed countries. India could stay on the sidelines, even though it has a lot of promise, if it doesn't do this.
Regulation is the most important thing that makes things happen
The restrictions on nutraceuticals in India have altered; however, they are still unclear. There are a lot of different groups that are responsible for food safety, pharmaceuticals, and traditional medicine. This can occasionally cause gaps or overlaps in enforcement. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made broad categories and guidelines for nutraceuticals, but there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure that claims, permissible ingredients, and labelling rules are clear.
A clear and uniform set of standards can keep local customers safe and provide global customers with peace of mind. This entails not only making processes more efficient but also making sure that claims are supported by strong proof. In sophisticated markets, even weak claims regarding health benefits must be backed up with data that has been examined by peers. India needs to come up with a comparable way to deal with customers' doubts at home and stop them from rejecting products in other countries.
There is also the problem of mixing nutraceuticals with India's traditional medicines. The country has a lot of expertise with Ayurveda and botanicals, but it needs a lot of work to make old wisdom conform to the laws of world powers. If India can integrate its ancient knowledge with scientific proof from throughout the world, it can stand out from other emerging economies.
Ecosystem for innovation and research
The nutraceutical industry can't always depend on cost arbitrage or old formulas. New discoveries in biotechnology, precision nutrition, and plant-based alternatives are changing the sector. Genomics, microbiome science, and AI-driven health analytics are all changing the way research is done around the world. If India wants to get a bigger share of the global market, it needs to build innovation ecosystems that are similar to those in other countries.
It is important to have public-private research partnerships, more money for translational research, and incubator centres that focus on nutraceutical sciences. Right now, most Indian players rely on clinical research, scientific validation, or technologies borrowed from other countries. If India builds its own capabilities, it would be able to climb up the value chain from a manufacturing base to a hub for intellectual property.
Nutrigenomics and personalized nutrition are two new areas that are very essential for India. The fact that India's people are genetically diverse and that lifestyle diseases are on the rise makes a compelling case for personalized dietary therapy. India could miss out on the chance to be a leader in this new field if it doesn't put money into massive biobanks, clinical trials, and models based on data.
The story of domestic consumption
India can grow a lot through exports, but its consumers are just as essential. As more Indians earn more money, the middle class grows, and non-communicable diseases become more frequent, more of them are turning to preventative healthcare. But money, knowledge, and trust are still issues.
People in cities are willing to pay for nutraceuticals, while people in rural areas still don't use them very often. We need to cut pricing and give consumers more information about the products to fill this gap. Nutraceuticals should be sold as supplements to public health programs, not as costly lifestyle choices. People might be more likely to accept it if nutrition missions, maternal health programs, and school-based activities were all combined. If domestic penetration can be expanded outside of big cities, India's internal demand may help the industry become known around the world.
Problems with infrastructure and the supply chain
We need more than just new scientific breakthroughs and clear rules to help the nutraceutical business develop. We also require dependable supply networks for things like raw materials, processing factories, shipping, and testing labs. India grows a lot of different crops, but the weak links don't always work, aren't easy to detect, and don't guarantee quality.
For clients all around the world, it is vitally crucial to be able to prove where something came from, deal with pesticide residue, and maintain the cold chain intact. To meet these objectives, money needs to be placed into authorised labs, contract farming, and digital traceability platforms. If India doesn't fix these issues, it might still be able to compete in lower-value bulk markets. But it won't be able to become a reliable source for high-quality nutraceutical ingredients and finished products. India's standing in the global market could be made or broken by the difference between supplying raw botanicals and clinically tested, high-quality extracts.
Making sure that policy and vision are in line
The government's measures will be very important for accomplishing the $100 billion goal. Tax benefits for exporting nutraceuticals, rewards for research and development, and quicker approvals for new concepts can all help. Adding nutraceuticals to India's preventative healthcare programs, such as Ayushman Bharat or national nutrition missions, could also make them more common.
Trade diplomacy and industrial strategy are also quite significant. If India can enter markets, create export lanes, and incorporate nutraceuticals in its bigger aim to become a centre for life sciences, the sector will receive structural support. On the other hand, policies made in bits and pieces or in response to problems could slow down progress and leave the industry underdeveloped. The ministries of health, commerce, agriculture, and science need to work together on a long-term, all-encompassing plan.
Final Thoughts
By 2047, India could have a nutraceutical industry of $100 billion. The country has everything it needs, a growing population, and more people want to buy things. It doesn't line up. Geopolitics gives India a chance, but whether it can use it depends on how trustworthy it is as a regulator and how well it can lead in new ideas.
India may become a major player in the global nutraceutical value chain if it can bring together its geographic location, regulatory convergence, and ecosystems for innovation. The alternative choice is a fractured growth path where potential is not completely realised.
We'll see if India can deal with these crosswinds in the next few decades. The answer will show if the sector becomes a $100 billion powerhouse or remains a missed opportunity in India's larger economic growth story.
(The author is founder at Nutrify Today and Nutrify Genie)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|