• Drools became India’s first pet food unicorn after receiving a minority investment from Nestlé S.A.
  • Founded in 2010, Drools now distributes over 650 SKUs across 40,000+ retail outlets and exports to 22 countries.

In a significant boost to India’s consumer goods and pet care landscape, Drools Pet Food Private Limited has become the country’s first pet food unicorn.

This follows a minority investment from global food giant Nestlé S.A., the Swiss parent company of Nestlé India. While the valuation and deal size have not been disclosed, Drools confirmed that it will retain its independent strategic and operational direction post-investment.

The development follows a $60 million minority stake investment made in June 2023 by private equity firm L Catterton, backed by luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton.

At the time, Drools expressed intent to leverage the firm’s market expertise to solidify its standing as India’s largest homegrown pet food brand.

“Drools has achieved significant growth since we invested in the company two years ago, through the high-quality in-market agility and execution, and a range of operational initiatives we have been working on with its management team to create value,”

said Anjana Sasidharan, Partner and Head of India at L Catterton.

From Start-Up to Market Leader

Founded in 2010 by Fahim Sultan, Drools has grown into a market leader with a portfolio of over 650 SKUs and a distribution network spanning more than 40,000 retail outlets.

The company also exports to 22 countries and leads online platforms like Amazon in the cat food segment.

“This is a testament to the love and trust of millions of pet parents and to our unwavering commitment to quality,” said Sultan.

Drools operates six manufacturing units and a warehousing network covering 1.6 million sq. ft., powered by a 3,400-strong workforce, nearly half of which focuses on sales.

India’s pet care sector is one of the fastest-growing globally, expected to expand 20% annually to exceed $1.2 billion by 2028, despite only 10% household pet ownership.

Edited by Annette George