The India animal feed market size was valued at USD 1.19 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 1.30 billion in 2026 to USD 2.58 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of 9% during the forecast period 2026–2034.
Animal feed is the nourishment given to domestic animals throughout animal husbandry. It is designed to provide animals with all the necessary nutrients for growth, upkeep, and reproduction. Animal feed is critical in maintaining the health, productivity, and overall well-being of cattle, poultry, and aquaculture animals. The growing purchasing power of the population and favorable demographics in the country, from rural to urban areas, all contribute significantly to the country's compound feed industry. People are eating more animal products, such as dairy, meat, fish, and eggs, as their disposable incomes increase in cities, needing more high-quality feed. This is a crucial component driving growth in the compound feed sector.
Recently, it was discovered that raw materials needed in animal feed manufacturing, such as soybean meal, sorghum, and maize, are being diverted for human use, causing feed scarcity. Furthermore, the high cost of these raw resources and their price and supply instability are prompting industry players to shift to more sustainable and cost-effective ingredients for animal production.
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Rising Demand for Animal Protein
As India's economy grows and urbanizes, dietary tastes change toward higher consumption of animal protein, such as meat, eggs, and dairy products. Rising earnings, changing lifestyles, and cultural influences all play a role in driving this trend. India's population is expected to reach 1.4 billion by mid-2023, accounting for 17.76% of the global total. This makes India the world's most populous country, surpassing China by April 2023. India's population density is 481 per square kilometer, with a median age of 28.2 years. Cities are home to 36.3% of the Indian population. India has a sizable and expanding customer base for animal protein. The growing population, urbanization, and lifestyle changes drive greater demand for animal products.
Additionally, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) predicts that India's fluid milk production will reach 212.7 million metric tons (MMT) in 2024, up 3% from 2023. The NDDB expects India to produce 0.8 MMT of nonfat dry milk and 6.9 MMT of butter in 2024, a 4% and 2% increase over 2023, respectively. Thus, Rising demand for animal protein drives up demand for animal feed, which supports the growth, health, and productivity of livestock, poultry, and aquaculture species. This trend creates chances for feed makers to expand their operations, innovate their products, and contribute to the long-term development of India's animal protein sector.
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Poultry represents a prominent animal type in the India animal feed market due to strong demand for broiler meat and eggs, expanding commercial poultry farming, and increasing adoption of scientifically formulated diets. Poultry feed is designed to support efficient growth, egg production, immunity, and feed conversion while meeting the nutritional requirements of birds at different life stages. Demand is strengthened by organized farming, improved breeds, greater awareness of animal nutrition, and investments in automated feeding systems. Producers are also developing specialized feed for broilers, layers, and breeder birds.
Ruminant feed supports cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats raised for milk, meat, and other agricultural purposes. Demand is influenced by dairy farming, efforts to improve milk productivity, and growing use of balanced feed instead of traditional fodder alone. Swine feed remains important in regions with established pig farming and is increasingly formulated for better growth and herd health. Aquaculture feed serves fish and shrimp farming, benefiting from commercial production and improved feeding practices. Growth across these categories depends on farmer awareness, affordability, ingredient availability, and distribution access.
Supplements are gaining importance in the India animal feed market as farmers and commercial producers focus on improving animal health, productivity, immunity, and feed efficiency. This category includes vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, probiotics, and other functional additives used to correct nutritional deficiencies and improve digestion. Demand is supported by intensive farming, rising awareness of balanced nutrition, and the need to reduce preventable health problems. Manufacturers are developing species-specific and life-stage-specific formulations that help support growth, reproduction, milk yield, egg production, and resistance to environmental stress.
Cereals provide essential energy and remain widely used in animal feed formulations because of their availability and compatibility with different livestock diets. Cakes and meals, including oilseed-based ingredients, serve as important protein sources for poultry, cattle, swine, and aquaculture feed. Agricultural and food-processing by-products offer economical options and can support circular use of available resources when properly processed and tested. Demand for these ingredients is shaped by crop production, commodity prices, nutritional quality, storage conditions, contamination control, and competition between animal feed, food, and industrial uses.
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South India is the most significant Indian animal feed market shareholder and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.8% over the forecast period. Cattle are raised for their milk since Hindu culture dominates India and considers bovine animals to be sacred. Large production volumes enable increased milk consumption in India. In 2022-2023, India's per capita milk availability was 459 grams per day, more than the global average of 322 grams per day in 2022. As a result, increased demand for milk is expected to benefit the compound feed market over the forecast period. Aside from milk production, several sections of India, such as Assam, Kerala, and southern India, have gradually grown beef consumption.
Thus, South India is the primary market for animal feed, with the largest market share. Due to increased poultry product manufacturing, the market has expanded in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. South India's chicken consumption is expected to reach 2.96 million metric tons (MMT) by 2023. This represents an increase from the 2022 projection of 2.9 MMT. Telangana has experienced considerable investment in feed manufacturing in 2023. The state government organized the first Food Conclave in April 2023, attracting over two dozen investment commitments totaling Rs 7,218 crore. These promises are to the food processing, edible oil, aquaculture, and meat processing industries.
Furthermore, in 2023, Kerala's dairy market was valued at INR 555 billion, with cow and buffalo milk accounting for the majority of production. The Dairy Development Department has provided each farmer with up to 20 cows by 2023 and intends to distribute animals to 64,000 farmers below the poverty level soon.
West India is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 9.1% over the forecast period. West India's states include Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Western India has had the highest share in cattle feed output, followed by the north, south, and east. Amul Dairy began producing chicken feed in Gujarat and Maharashtra in July 2023, intending to expand into Punjab, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh later that year. Amul Dairy tries to distinguish itself from competitors by providing vegetarian poultry feed.
Additionally, the State Planning Board of Maharashtra has allotted Rs 500 lakh to execute cattle feed subsidy scheme components in 2023-24. These factors are projected to drive the country's market over the forecast period.
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Author's Details
Research Practice Lead
Anantika Sharma is a research practice lead with 7+ years of experience in the food & beverage and consumer products sectors. She specializes in analyzing market trends, consumer behavior, and product innovation strategies. Anantika's leadership in research ensures actionable insights that enable brands to thrive in competitive markets. Her expertise bridges data analytics with strategic foresight, empowering stakeholders to make informed, growth-oriented decisions.
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