Indian probiotic market growth analysis: An update

In India, probiotic consumer products are primarily available as dairy-based items like yogurt (dahi), fermented milk, and buttermilk, but also include non-dairy options like certain fermented drinks and supplements. The market is seeing growth, especially in the dairy sector, with companies like Amul, Nestle, Mother Dairy, and Yakult-Danone actively marketing probiotic products. While no specific regulatory guidelines exist for probiotic foods in India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) provides certification for products, including those with probiotics. An initiative was, therefore, taken by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) along with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, New Delhi to formulate guidelines for regulation of probiotic products in the country. These guidelines define a set of parameters required for a product/ strain to be termed as ‘probiotic’. Probiotic drugs are used for the prevention, treatment, and mitigation of human diseases and are subjected to the stringent regulations applied to other drugs, thus requiring approval before marketing and continuous pre- and post-marketing safety and quality controls. These include traveler, antibiotic-associated, and acute-infectious diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, and Clostridium difficile and Helicobacter pylori infections. Indian consumers are becoming more aware of functional foods and nutritional supplements and the potential role of these products in balanced diet and in ensuring good health. Probiotics are becoming increasingly popular as functional foods because of their health benefits. However, specific probiotic supplement regulation and comprehensive market analysis are absent, hampering the understanding of consumer preferences, market trends, and potential economic impacts of this industry.