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India Pet-Care Market Boost: RCPL Unveils Science-Backed, Value-Priced Waggies

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Reliance Consumer Products Ltd., a key arm of India’s retail and FMCG giant, has officially stepped into the country’s booming pet-care sector with the launch of its new brand, Waggies. The company is targeting the fast-growing market for pet nutrition, which has seen a surge in demand driven by rising pet ownership and increasing consumer preference for premium-quality offerings.

Waggies is positioned as a value-driven yet high-quality option, with its standard range priced at Rs 199 per kilogram and a premium “Waggies Pro” line starting at Rs 249 per kilogram. For first-time pet owners, the brand offers 100-gram trial packs for Rs 20, making it accessible for sampling. According to RCPL, the brand will provide “science-backed, global-quality” nutrition, aiming to compete with established players such as Nestlé India, Mars Petcare, and Godrej Consumer Products. The company plans to price Waggies 20–50 percent lower than comparable offerings, aiming to capture price-sensitive segments without compromising quality.

Distribution will prioritize general-trade outlets and semi-urban locations, particularly focusing on Tier-2 cities and beyond, reflecting the brand’s strategy to tap into markets outside traditional urban hubs. RCPL’s entry comes at a critical juncture: India’s pet-care market is currently estimated at approximately US$ 3.5 billion and is projected to nearly double to around US$ 7 billion by 2028. Analysts attribute this growth to increasing pet adoption, rising disposable incomes, and heightened awareness of pet health and nutrition.

With Waggies, RCPL seeks not only to gain a foothold in India’s pet-care ecosystem but also to leverage its nationwide distribution network and brand recognition to scale quickly. The launch signals intensified competition in a market that combines premiumization trends with strong potential in semi-urban and regional markets, offering a substantial growth runway for new entrants.

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Swiggy Bolt and Digital Adoption Fuel India’s $125 Billion Food Services Surge

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India’s food services market is on track to reach $120–125 billion by 2030, powered by a wave of digital adoption and the formalization of the sector, according to a joint report by Swiggy and management consultancy Kearney. Analysts say the organized segment is now expanding at nearly twice the pace of the unorganized market, underscoring a structural shift in consumer behaviour and supply chains.

A standout trend driving growth is ultra-fast fulfillment, commonly referred to as Q-Commerce. Swiggy’s Bolt service, which promises delivery within 10 minutes, has seen a marked rise in order volumes and higher monthly retention among consumers, reflecting a growing expectation for speed and convenience in food delivery. Affordability remains a critical factor, with consumers seeking value in traditional favourites such as Indian thalis, biryanis, and comfort meals, even as they experiment with global cuisines. Korean food, for instance, has registered a 17-fold increase in consumer interest over recent months, alongside hyper-regional Indian dishes capturing niche but expanding audiences.

The growth trajectory is no longer confined to metropolitan cities. Tier-2 markets are emerging as key drivers, with Gen Z and younger millennial cohorts increasingly demanding innovative, digital-first experiences. Restaurants and food brands are responding with menu diversification, strategic packaging innovations, and tech-enabled ordering channels to meet these evolving expectations.

Experts note that the success of food brands over the next decade will depend on their ability to navigate this dual demand for value and premiumization. Companies that combine regional authenticity, affordability, and experiential offerings with digital efficiency are best positioned to capture market share in an increasingly competitive landscape.

With digital adoption accelerating and consumer tastes evolving rapidly, India’s food ecosystem is set to become a $125 billion opportunity by the end of the decade, offering significant growth for brands that understand both regional and urban appetites.

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INOXCVA Sustainable Kegs Poised to Redefine Beverage Storage and Dispensing

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In a major boost to India’s beverage ecosystem, INOXCVA’s Made-in-India stainless steel kegs recently received audit approvals from two of the world’s largest brewery brands – Heineken and ABinBev – for its stainless-steel beverage kegs manufactured at its Savli Plant in Gujarat. This milestone, achieved just a few quarters after the company entered the keg manufacturing segment in September 2023, underscores company’s strength in quality, scale, and global compliance—backed by more than three decades of expertise in stainless steel and advanced welding.

Industry experts note that the stainless-steel kegs mark a turning point for freshness, distribution efficiency, and consumer experience — signalling a new era of innovation for the Indian beverage sector.

INOXCVA kegs are globally recognized for quality standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and FSSC 22000 certified, ensuring the highest food and beverage safety standards.

Offering wide range of stainless-steel beverage kegs in EURO, DIN, SLIM, and USA-standard (BBL) formats, these kegs are suitable for beer, wine, cider, juice, cocktail, nitro beverages, kombucha, coffee, and more – offering versatility across beverage categories.

Deepak Acharya, Chief Executive Officer – INOX India Limited (INOXCVA) shared, “These approvals from two of the world’s leading breweries mark a defining moment in our journey into the beverage keg space. It validates our belief in our manufacturing prowess and reinforces our position as a credible, high-quality, and future-ready partner for the global beverage industry.”

Taking brewing to new gastronomic heights, INOXCVA’s kegs have already established their global presence with showcases at expos in the USA, Belgium, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. They are set to be featured next at Drink Japan in December.

He further added: “Through our collaboration with Italy’s Supermonte Group, we manufacture kegs that meet the rigorous standards of multinational breweries while significantly reducing environmental impact.”

Recently, they captured national attention after a standout Indian debut at Drinktec India 2025. Positioned to transform how beverages are stored and served, these innovative kegs drew strong interest from brewers, breweries, wineries, non-alcoholic beverage makers, and leading alcohol brands exploring next-generation dispensing solutions.

Deepak Acharya said: “At INOXCVA, we don’t just build containers — we deliver reliable, sustainable packaging solutions engineered for performance and trusted worldwide. With over three decades of excellence in cryogenic engineering, we now bring our stainless steel with a powerful sustainability edge and precision welding expertise to the beverage packaging industry.”

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted by Deloitte compared the environmental impact of various beer container options. The study found that steel kegs consistently outperform other formats across environmental indicators due to the inherent advantages of reusability and circularity. From a greenhouse gas perspective, steel kegs become preferable to single-use glass bottles after just three use cycles, and surpass aluminium cans after five cycles. In the U.S. alone, the use of steel kegs saves more than 400,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually and prevents nearly 500,000 tons of packaging waste from entering landfills.

“Our kegs are more than a product — they symbolize India’s emergence as a global force in world-class beverage technology. We are committed to delivering innovations that offer superior freshness, greater operational efficiency, sustainable performance, and a truly elevated consumer experience,” Acharya said.

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TechnoSport Unveils Hyderabad Flagship Store, Plans Rapid Expansion Across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

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TechnoSport marked a major step in its retail expansion with the opening of its largest exclusive store in Hyderabad, adding weight to the brand’s growing presence across South India. The new outlet, located on the first floor of Sarath City Capital Mall, covers 4,200 square feet and has been positioned as the brand’s newest flagship in the region.

The store was launched in the presence of Telugu actor Teja Sajja, along with TechnoSport chief executive Puspen Maity and director Amit Santhalia. The inauguration drew strong interest from fitness-focused shoppers and young consumers who have been part of the brand’s recent engagement drive in Hyderabad, which promoted sun-protection clothing and high-performance workout wear.

With this opening, TechnoSport now operates twenty-eight exclusive outlets across India. The company has set an ambitious target to scale this network to three hundred stores, supported by rising demand for performance apparel in both metropolitan and emerging markets. The Hyderabad store houses the brand’s complete assortment of activewear, featuring proprietary technologies such as Cotflex, Techno Dry, Matpiq, Technocool Plus, TechnoWarm, TechnoGuard and garments offering UPF 50 plus sun protection.

The outlet also places a strong emphasis on digital-first retailing. It features what the company describes as India’s first Holoflex transparent LED installation, which serves as a visual merchandising centerpiece and creates an immersive in-store environment. An upgraded billing system has been installed to speed up checkout times, while new digital touchpoints focus on simplifying product discovery for customers.

Alongside the Hyderabad launch, TechnoSport is preparing to strengthen its footprint in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Stores in Vizag, Rajahmundry, Kakinada and Anantapur are expected soon, while additional expansion is planned in Bengaluru and Chennai. Company executives said the wider plan is to make high-quality performance wear easily accessible to shoppers across the country as fitness culture continues to grow.

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Ghodawat Group Charts Aggressive Growth Plan, Eyes Rs 15,000 Crore Revenue and Series of IPOs

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The Sanjay Ghodawat Group has set an ambitious goal for the decade, outlining a plan to push its consolidated revenue to nearly fifteen thousand crore rupees by 2030. A significant share of this growth is expected to come from aviation, where its airline Star Air is projected to contribute about six thousand crore rupees as it scales its network and fleet.

Managing Director Shrenik Ghodawat said the group has reached a current topline of around three thousand five hundred crore rupees across its businesses, which span aviation, FMCG, education, textiles, real estate, and retail. The aviation vertical alone closed the last financial year near six hundred and fifty crore rupees. To accelerate this business, the company is preparing an investment plan of five hundred crore rupees over the next two years.

Ghodawat noted that Star Air will continue to operate as a regional, low-cost carrier and does not intend to shift to a full-scale budget airline model. He said the biggest competition in regional markets still comes from trains and buses, and that most of the airline’s network continues to be supported by the government’s Udan scheme. Over the next few years, the airline aims to tilt its mix toward commercially viable routes, moving from the current sixty-five percent Udan share to a network where commercial operations account for nearly seventy percent.

The group is preparing several verticals for the public markets within a two-to-five-year window. Star Air has already secured one hundred and fifty crore rupees as part of its series B round from a set of marquee investors, with another two hundred crore rupees expected next year.

In parallel, the FMCG arm, which brings in about fifteen hundred crore rupees in revenue, is targeting three thousand crore rupees within five years. The education business aims to grow from nearly three hundred crore rupees today to one thousand crore rupees by the end of the decade, forming part of the group’s broader vision of achieving five times growth across key portfolios.

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Government Proposes Fresh Cess on Cigarettes and Pan Masala as GST Compensation Ends

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The Centre is preparing to introduce a new set of levies on cigarettes, pan masala and gutkha as the GST compensation cess approaches its sunset period. The move aims to ensure that the overall tax burden on tobacco products remains unchanged once the existing cess framework winds down.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to place a fresh proposal before Parliament titled the Health Security National Security Cess Bill, 2025. Alongside this, the government will table an amendment to the Central Excise Act that would create room for higher duties on cigarette and tobacco manufacturers. Both proposals received cabinet clearance in the previous meeting, according to people aware of the deliberations.

Officials said the intent is straightforward. Once the compensation cess expires, there must be no drop in the effective tax rate on tobacco, a category viewed as critical for both public health and revenue. The new legislation will allow the government to impose a cess on manufacturing units and machines involved in the production of specified goods. The accompanying amendment is designed to adjust excise duties where required.

The explanation attached to the bill notes that the proceeds will strengthen resources for national security and public health spending. The Defence Ministry is already projecting an increase of nearly twenty percent in its next budget allocation as it pushes for modernisation across services.

India reworked its GST structure in September, moving to two primary slabs of five percent and eighteen percent. The earlier twenty eight percent category was replaced with a special rate of forty percent for items such as tobacco products, aerated drinks, large cars and personal aircraft. While the compensation cess was eliminated for most goods, it continued for tobacco, where rates ranged from one percent to two hundred ninety percent.

The cess was originally introduced to help states manage revenue losses during the shift to GST. It was supposed to end in 2022 but was extended until March 2026 so that all borrowings undertaken during the pandemic years could be repaid.

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French Bloom Makes Limoux Debut, Anchoring Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine in Terroir

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French Bloom, the French brand behind some of the world’s leading alcohol-free sparkling wines, has taken a historic step with the acquisition of a 25-hectare vineyard and winery in Limoux, in the Haute Vallée. Scheduled to become operational in September 2026, the estate will be the first in the world devoted exclusively to producing alcohol-free sparkling wine from grapes grown and vinified on-site.

Limoux, long recognized for its sparkling wine heritage, offers a combination of limestone and clay soils, cool nights, and a Mediterranean climate that French Bloom believes is ideal for producing base wines with depth and complexity. The company has invested in organic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, harvested earlier than traditional practices to preserve acidity, and aged in new Burgundy barrels to maintain structure post-dealcoholization.

French Bloom’s co-founder Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger explained that the acquisition anchors the brand firmly in terroir, allowing the wines to express origin and identity—a distinction the non-alcoholic wine category has historically lacked. CEO Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger said the estate will also facilitate a parcellaire approach, producing cuvées tied to specific plots, providing a level of place-based authenticity uncommon in alcohol-free sparkling wines.

The Limoux estate will centralize all production stages, from grape cultivation and base wine crafting to dealcoholization and R&D. Hospitality elements are planned in phases, offering private tastings and transparency into the winemaking process.

French Bloom has positioned itself as a luxury non-alcoholic brand, with Le Blanc and Le Rosé retailing at $39 and $44 per bottle in the U.S., and its prestige cuvées priced up to $119. The brand is available in over 500 Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide and has strategic partnerships with events including Coachella, Roland Garros, and Formula 1.

With global non-alcoholic wine sales projected to surpass $30 billion by 2030, French Bloom’s Limoux estate signals a new era: non-alcoholic sparkling wines defined by complexity, provenance, and terroir, rather than what they lack.

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Retailers See Sharp Rise in Black Friday Sales as Indian Shoppers Spend Big

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India’s Black Friday to Cyber Monday shopping window is shaping up to be one of the busiest retail periods of the year, with brands and marketplaces reporting a sharp rise in demand that began well before the official start of the discount weekend. Company executives say sales across categories are expected to grow between 20 and 25 percent over last year, signalling that the American-origin event is steadily finding a place in the country’s retail calendar.

Campaigns kicked off nearly a week in advance on platforms such as Tata CLiQ, Nykaa, Flipkart and Croma, along with manufacturers like Samsung, allowing retailers to tap into strong consumer sentiment that has held firm even a month after Diwali. Electronics chain Vijay Sales said it has already recorded a 20 to 25 percent jump over last year’s Black Friday numbers, calling the momentum a clear indicator of enthusiastic spending.

Retailers say the event is expanding beyond impulse buying. Mall operators report an uptick in planned purchases and a tilt toward premium products, alongside a rise in family outings. At Nexus Select Malls, footfall began climbing noticeably from the start of the week. The company said November typically slows down when Diwali arrives in October, but Black Friday has now begun to bridge that gap.

Brands across fashion, luggage, beauty and home goods are also reporting heightened activity. Urban Jungle, the premium line from Safari, said sales have risen to more than three times its usual weekly average.

Large-screen television models briefly ran out of stock on some platforms as demand outpaced seller estimates, a trend manufacturers attribute to the goods and services tax cut that helped revive the category. Retailers are using late-night hours, curated mall-wide offers and short-window flash deals to sustain traffic through Cyber Monday and the week that follows.

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Swiggy Bolt Contributes Over 10% of Orders, Enhances Customer Loyalty Across India

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Swiggy’s rapid-delivery experiment is no longer a side bet. Bolt, the company’s 10-minute food delivery service introduced in October 2024, has moved quickly up the ranks and now accounts for more than a tenth of all orders placed on the platform. It is currently operational in over 700 cities, making it one of the most widespread fast-food delivery pilots attempted by any major Indian platform.

Rohit Kapoor, chief executive of Swiggy’s food marketplace business, said the service is benefiting from a shift in consumer expectations shaped by the rise of quick commerce. He noted that users increasingly want shorter wait times across categories and restaurants are beginning to build menus that suit the rapid-delivery format, which has strengthened the model’s adoption. Customers who enter Swiggy through Bolt also tend to stay longer, with the company recording stronger month-on-month retention for this segment.

Kapoor added that the service is not draining capital. Each delivery is currently profitable, he said, adding that Bolt is helping lift order frequency without putting pressure on costs. Affordability, he stressed, remains central to bringing new households into Swiggy’s ecosystem as competition intensifies in food and grocery delivery.

Speaking on the sidelines of an industry event, Kapoor outlined the broader growth view for the coming year. Swiggy is holding its forecast for Gross Order Value growth at 18 to 20 per cent annually, with the company focusing on consumer insights and product improvements to maintain momentum. He said the food delivery sector has transformed dramatically in a little over a decade, and understanding changing behaviour will be critical for the next phase of expansion.

Commenting on the newly notified Labour Codes, Kapoor said the framework offers welcome clarity for the sector and the company is waiting for additional specifics as regulators release further guidance.

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Inside Meesho’s Big Market Moment With Vidit Aatrey And Sanjeev Barnwal Leading A 5.74 Billion Dollar IPO And Early Investors Cashing In

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Meesho’s long awaited public debut has finally taken a clear shape, and the numbers are already turning heads across the startup world. The company has fixed its price band at Rs 103 to 111, placing its valuation at about 5.74 billion dollars. For a business that began as a small experiment to help home-grown sellers earn online, this moment marks a massive milestone.

The biggest beneficiaries of this move are the company’s earliest believers. Elevation Capital and Peak XV Partners, both of whom backed Meesho when the journey was still uncertain, are sitting on very large paper gains. Their early confidence in the company’s asset-light model and its aggressive push into value ecommerce now looks well rewarded.

What has drawn even more attention is the value of the founders’ combined holding. Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, who built Meesho from a single room and a limited laptop budget, now hold shares worth about Rs 8,750 crore at the upper end of the price band. It is one of the biggest value-creation stories in the Indian consumer internet space in recent years.

The IPO opens on December 3. A notable detail is that the offer for sale component has been trimmed. Investors familiar with the company say this reflects an intention to keep the core leadership and key early shareholders closely tied to the future growth of the business. Market watchers are expecting strong interest from retail and institutional investors who want exposure to India’s fast growing commerce sector.

Meesho’s public listing will not only test investor appetite but will also serve as a signal for the broader startup ecosystem. A successful debut could lift sentiment and encourage more companies to consider the public markets in the coming year.

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