How has India’s animal healthcare landscape evolved across livestock, poultry, aquaculture and companion animals, and what are the key gaps that need to be addressed?
India’s animal healthcare sector has evolved considerably, driven by rising demand for animal-derived food, changing farming practices and growing awareness of preventive healthcare. The scale of the sector makes animal health a significant economic and public health priority. According to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying’s Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2025, India produced 247.87 million tonnes of milk in 2024–25, an increase of 3.58 per cent over the previous year. Egg production reached 149.11 billion, growing 4.44 per cent, while meat production increased 2.46 per cent to 10.50 million tonnes. India remains the world’s largest milk producer and ranks second in egg production and fourth in meat production.
These figures reflect the growing importance of animal health across livestock and poultry production. In dairy, disease prevention, reproductive efficiency, nutrition and animal productivity are closely linked to farm incomes. Poultry requires effective vaccination, biosecurity and disease monitoring to protect flock health and maintain production. Aquaculture presents opportunities in disease management, diagnostics and water-quality control, while companion animal healthcare is shifting focus to preventive veterinary care, nutrition and long-term health management.
Despite this progress, significant gaps remain. Veterinary services and diagnostic facilities are unevenly distributed, particularly in rural areas. Small producers often have limited access to preventive interventions, while inconsistent disease reporting can delay the identification of emerging risks. Improving veterinary infrastructure, strengthening surveillance and expanding access to quality medicines and vaccines will be essential.
The next phase of development must bring prevention, diagnosis and treatment closer together. This requires sustained investment in veterinary capabilities, farmer education, locally relevant research and collaboration among government, industry and research institutions. The objective is to improve animal welfare and health outcomes while strengthening productivity, farm resilience and the sustainability of India’s animal agriculture sector.
With changing disease patterns and growing concerns around animal health and productivity, what are the biggest challenges facing veterinarians, livestock farmers and poultry producers today?
The core challenge is to maintain animal health and production efficiency while managing a more complex set of disease and operational risks. Disease outbreaks directly affect productivity, increase treatment costs, disrupt supply chains and reduce farm profitability. In poultry, the concentration of animals within production systems makes biosecurity and rapid disease detection particularly important. In livestock, infectious diseases, reproductive disorders, nutritional deficiencies and heat stress severely affect output and the economic viability of farming.
Climate variability adds another dimension. Changes in temperature, rainfall and humidity influence animal comfort, feed availability, water quality and the conditions under which pathogens and vectors spread. These effects vary by region and species, requiring localised disease monitoring and management practices.
Veterinarians are also taking on broader responsibilities. Beyond identifying disease, guiding treatment, they must advise on vaccination and nutrition, promote responsible medicine use and help producers improve farm management. This requires access to reliable diagnostics, continuing professional development and practical tools that can be used in the field. In underserved areas, distance and limited diagnostic infrastructure can delay intervention.
For farmers and poultry producers, the economics of prevention remain central. The cost of a vaccination programme, diagnostic test or biosecurity improvement must be assessed against the potential losses from disease. Demonstrating this relationship through measurable outcomes can help encourage adoption.
A more effective response will combine veterinary expertise with farm-level data, early warning systems and better biosecurity. The objective should be to identify risks before they become costly outbreaks and to make sound animal health practices a routine part of production management.
How important are preventive healthcare, vaccination and disease surveillance in strengthening India’s animal health ecosystem, and where is greater investment or intervention needed?
Preventive healthcare is fundamental to a sustainable animal health system. Treating disease after it appears is often more expensive than reducing infection risk through vaccination, biosecurity, nutrition and sound animal management. Prevention also safeguards farm productivity, food safety and public health.
India has made substantial progress through national disease control programs. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has supported large-scale vaccination against economically important diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and brucellosis. The government’s Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme also focuses on veterinary infrastructure, disease surveillance and access to veterinary services. These initiatives provide a strong foundation for further progress.
The next priority is to strengthen the links between vaccination coverage, disease surveillance and measurable control outcomes. Vaccination programmes need reliable cold chains, trained personnel, appropriate timing and follow-up monitoring to confirm immunity levels. Disease surveillance must identify changes in incidence, geographical spread and circulating pathogens to enable rapid response from veterinary authorities.
Investment must target laboratory capacity, field diagnostics, epidemiological expertise and inter-state data sharing. Digital reporting offers greater visibility, but its value depends entirely on data quality and execution speed.
Industry must also step up by developing effective vaccines, improving product quality, supporting veterinary education and collaborating with public authorities. We must measure success not by vaccination or treatment volumes alone, but by disease reduction, improved productivity, and stronger farm resilience.
India has a large livestock population and a growing companion animal healthcare market. Which segments present the most significant opportunities for growth, and what factors will determine their development?
The strongest opportunities lie where better animal health delivers measurable improvements in productivity, animal welfare and the economic outcomes.
Dairy and livestock remain significant because of their contribution to rural livelihoods and the country’s food supply. Improving reproductive efficiency, controlling infectious diseases, strengthening nutrition and reducing preventable production losses can deliver substantial value at the farm level. Solutions must be practical and economically accessible, particularly for small and marginal farmers.
Poultry offers opportunities in vaccines, biologicals, diagnostics, biosecurity and integrated health management. As production systems become more technically demanding, producers need reliable solutions that support flock health and reduce the impact of disease. Aquaculture also presents opportunities in disease prevention, diagnostics, water-quality management and responsible health interventions, with approaches tailored to different species and farming environments.
Companion animal healthcare is developing along a different trajectory. Pet owners are increasingly seeking veterinary guidance, preventive treatments, specialised nutrition and diagnostics. This creates scope for growth in preventive healthcare and long-term disease management. However, the development of this market will depend on the availability of qualified veterinarians, access to diagnostic services, affordability and informed decision-making by pet owners.
Across all segments, growth will depend on more than product availability. Scientific evidence, consistent quality, distribution reach, veterinary capability and trust among customers will determine whether new solutions are adopted and used appropriately. Local manufacturing and research can also improve responsiveness to market requirements and strengthen supply resilience.
The most sustainable opportunities will be those that solve a clearly identified animal health problem and demonstrate value to the farmer, veterinarian or animal owner. Better health outcomes and stronger economics must develop together.
How can animal health companies strengthen access to veterinary medicines, diagnostics and healthcare solutions, particularly in rural and underserved markets? What role can local manufacturing and R&D play in addressing India’s specific needs?
Expanding access requires a coordinated model spanning availability, affordability, veterinary support and education. In rural markets, a quality medicine or vaccine creates value only when it reaches the right location, is stored correctly and is administered under appropriate guidance. Distribution therefore needs to be supported by trained field teams, veterinary networks and reliable last-mile delivery.
Animal health companies can work with veterinarians, dairy cooperatives, producer organisations, poultry integrators and local distributors to improve access to products and technical information. Veterinary education and farmer awareness programmes are equally important. Producers need practical guidance on vaccination schedules, biosecurity, nutrition, early disease recognition and the responsible use of medicines. Mobile veterinary services and accessible diagnostic support can help address geographical barriers to care.
Affordability must also be considered in the context of the value delivered. For a farmer, the relevant question is how an intervention affects animal survival, productivity, treatment expenditure and income. Demonstrating these outcomes can support informed adoption and encourage greater investment in preventive care.
Local manufacturing strengthens this approach by improving supply responsiveness, reducing dependence on long and complex supply chains and building technical capabilities within the country. It can also support more reliable access to essential products, provided that quality, regulatory compliance and manufacturing standards remain consistent.
Research and development must reflect India’s specific disease patterns, climatic conditions, livestock breeds, production practices and customer requirements. Collaboration between industry, universities, veterinary institutions and public research bodies can help translate scientific advances into practical solutions. Local evidence is particularly important for understanding how interventions perform under different field conditions.
The objective should be to build an integrated access model in which quality products, veterinary expertise, diagnostics and farmer education reinforce one another. This is how the sector can improve access while maintaining high standards of animal health.
As you oversee the IMEA region, how do India’s animal health priorities compare with those of other emerging markets? What lessons can India offer, and what changes are needed to build a more sustainable and globally competitive animal healthcare sector?
India shares key priorities with other emerging markets across the IMEA region, accelerating disease prevention, expanding affordable veterinary care, building diagnostic capacity and driving productivity across diverse farming setups. Where India stands out is in its immense scale, structural diversity, and the depth of its scientific, manufacturing, and veterinary talent.
A major key takeaway from India’s experience is the importance of balancing scale with hyper-local adaptation. Animal health solutions cannot simply be imported and applied without modification. Disease prevalence, climate, regulatory frameworks, and farm economics vary dramatically. India demonstrates how global scientific frameworks must be tailored to local operational realities without compromising quality or safety.
Looking ahead, there is immense opportunity for regional collaboration across manufacturing, cross-border research, technical training, and joint disease surveillance.
Building a truly sustainable and globally competitive animal healthcare sector requires India to adopt a unified One Health approach that formally integrates animal, human and environmental health strategies to address interconnected biosecurity and disease risks. Strengthening regulatory frameworks and manufacturing standards in line with global requirements will be essential to improving product quality and expanding export capabilities. Equally important is investment in evidence-based research and development, with a focus on generating local clinical evidence, advancing biologicals and developing next-generation field diagnostics. By strengthening its scientific foundation and execution capabilities, India can address domestic animal health challenges while supplying scalable, high-value solutions to emerging markets worldwide.