A LinkedIn post about a Bengaluru couple’s spending on their pet dog has triggered a wider conversation online about how urban Indians are redefining household priorities — and fuelling a rapidly growing pet-care economy.
The discussion began after startup founder Gagan Arora shared an anecdote about a tech couple living in Indiranagar who adopted a Golden Retriever last year. According to Arora, the couple spends between ₹12,000 and ₹15,000 each month on their dog’s care — often more than their own grocery budget.
A pet with its own shelf in the fridge
In his post, Arora described noticing a bag of premium dog food priced at ₹2,400 for three kilograms on the kitchen counter, alongside probiotic supplements meant for joint health.
Under the counter sat a subscription box from Heads Up For Tails, containing grooming supplies, dental chews and even a seasonal bandana.
Curious about their routine, Arora said he opened the fridge and found the dog had a dedicated shelf stocked with pre-portioned cooked chicken, labelled by day.
When he asked the couple about their monthly expenses for the pet, they quickly responded: around ₹12,000 to ₹15,000 covering food, grooming, vet visits, toys and treats.
“When I asked what they spend on their own groceries, they laughed and said it’s probably less,” Arora wrote.
The rise of the ‘DINKWAD’ consumer
Arora linked the couple’s spending habits to a consumer segment that surfaced during a webinar by the Market Research Society of India earlier this year — DINKWAD, or “Double Income, No Kids, With A Dog”.
According to researchers cited in the post, this group is typically “time-poor but resource-rich” and places a premium on quality pet care. Unlike typical e-commerce shoppers who wait for sales or compare prices across platforms, these consumers prioritise trust and reliability when buying products for their pets.
The result, Arora argued, is a rare type of customer in India’s direct-to-consumer market: one who willingly pays full price.
“In most categories, customers wait for discounts or compare cheaper alternatives,” he wrote. “But when the purchase is for something they love that cannot buy for itself, the decision shifts from price-first to trust-first.”
A booming pet-care industry
The shift in consumer behaviour is already reshaping India’s pet-care market.
Pet food brand Drools recently reached a $1-billion valuation, while Nestlé has taken a stake in the company. Meanwhile, pet-care platform Supertails is targeting ₹500 crore in annual recurring revenue by 2026.
The sector has also attracted significant investment. Between 2022 and 2025, pet-care startups raised about $124 million across 64 funding rounds.
Large conglomerates have also entered the space. Reliance Retail launched its pet-care brand Waggies, while Godrej Group has committed ₹500 crore to expand its presence in the segment.
For founders and investors, Arora argued, the money is following a consumer category that shows strong loyalty and predictable lifetime value — often lasting the entire lifespan of a pet.
Not just about “no kids”
The post quickly sparked debate in the comments section, with some users pushing back against the idea that the trend is driven primarily by child-free households.
One user argued that the “DINKWAD” label oversimplifies a broader shift in how people treat animals.
“This isn’t about who people don’t have,” the user wrote. “It’s about how they choose to care for what they do have.”
They noted that across cities, the same pattern appears in a wide range of households — single professionals, couples with children, and even older families. “Pet care has moved from ‘nice to optimise’ to ‘non-negotiable to maintain’,” the user wrote.
Another commenter drew comparisons with how parents spend on young children. While parents typically prioritise nutrition for babies or toddlers, the same level of scrutiny may not always extend to other purchases such as clothing.
