India chooses to eat healthy, says survey

Increasing awareness about the importance of making healthy eating choices and the growing availability of healthy food staples and snacks is leading to a rapid increase in demand for such products. The growing adoption of healthy choices by Indian consumers is evident from a study of online sales trends. 

Unicommerce, one of India’s leading eCommerce and retail enablement SaaS platforms, analyzed over 20 million order items processed by organic and healthy food brands via its flagship platform, Uniware. The analysis compared sales during the past six months (September 2024 to February 2025) with sales in the corresponding period of the previous year (September 2023 to February 2024)

The analysis shows over 60% YoY surge in e-commerce order volumes for such products, with a significant rise in consumption of organic pulses, stone-ground spices, wood-pressed edible oils, A2 Ghee, organic milk products, free-range eggs, multigrain pasta, oats, plant-based cookies, protein bars, healthy snacks like nuts, makhanas, ragi and jowar-based chips and more.

eCommerce order volumes for healthy foods and snacks were led by buyers from tier-3 markets, where volumes grew by 90% YoY from September 24 to February 25 compared with the equivalent six-month period of September ‘23 to February ‘24.  Some of the regions that observed a notable uptick in demand were Kolar, Rohtak, Sonepat and Gandhinagar among tier-3 cities and Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Nagpur and Indore among tier-2 cities.

The rise in demand for innovative snacking has also attracted legacy companies that have diversified their product offerings to meet the evolving needs of consumers. The growing appetite for healthy foods and eatables is also driving the entry of new players in the market. Unicommerce powers some of India’s leading new-age D2C brands and legacy retail companies, namely Marico, SriSri Tattva, The Whole Truth Foods, WickedGud, Amala Earth, Alpino Foods, Yogabars and GirOrganic among others. 

This growing popularity of the segment is also visible in promotions by such brands on social media channels, including YouTube and Instagram. The same is also reflected in cult shows like Shark Tank India, where many healthy food brands like EatBetter, Confect, Namhya Foods, The Naturik Co, HoneyVeda and First Bud Organics among others have received investments and benefited from the sharp uptick in consumer adoption.

As per the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) dietary guidelines published in April 2024, 56.4% of the total disease burden in India is due to unhealthy diets. The importance of this received nationwide attention when, in a recent episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Shri Narendra Modi also highlighted the need to become a fit and healthy nation by tackling obesity and reducing oil intake. 

Yash Sanghvi, head of supply chain at The Whole Truth Foods (TWT) said, “India has a rich culture of healthy food products, which vary by region. The increasing awareness among shoppers and technology is allowing us to expand our network and connect to modern consumers with healthy food choices.” 

“Connecting India’s consumers with healthy options is a massive endeavor that requires us to harness traditional wisdom and contemporary technology to augment awareness and access. As demand patterns are rapidly evolving, tech-enabled brands are able to react much faster in meeting the dynamic demand – offering customized promotions, handling multiple sales channels, leveraging specialized logistics partners, planning inventory distribution, handling returns & reconciliations, and providing an overall efficient and engaging shopping experience for the end customers,” said Kapil Makhija, MD & CEO of Unicommerce. “

New-age Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands in the food sector, mainly driven by e-commerce, have emerged as game-changers. These brands are offering various nutritious food and snack options to consumers on online and offline platforms. India’s organic food industry is projected to grow from US$ 2.07 billion in 2024 to US$ 10.32 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.20% during the forecast period (2024 – 2032). It presents an opportunity for D2C brands and retail companies in the health foods sector to cater to a growing market that’s demonstrating a heightening interest in healthier yet convenient snack options.