The food supplements market in India

Food supplements, or nutritional supplements, deliver nutrients that may not be consumed in sufficient quantities to the body. They can be vitamins, minerals, or other substances delivered in the form of pills, tablets, capsules or liquids (1).

The size of the global vitamins and minerals market is forecasted to reach USD 20.7 billion in 2021, with India's market size reaching USD 178 million . The Indian vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) market is set to grow 4.48% annually between 2021 and 2025 (2).

Overview of the market
In India, VMS are perceived as medicinal , meaning that consumers will only consume supplements if prescribed by their doctor. 37% of the population use supplements, and 23% of the urban population feel they need expert advice on which supplements to take (3). Consumers are working longer hours: they have less time to prepare nutritious food, which leads to nutritional deficiency throughout India. In addition, consumers are not unaware of how to remedy to their nutritional deficiency, which shows the need for education on the benefits of VMS products to consumers.