INDIA MEDICAL NUTRITION MARKET ANALYSIS

The India Medical Nutrition Market is estimated to be valued at US$  466.5 million in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period (2023-2030).

Analysts’ Views on India Medical Nutrition Market:

The India medical nutrition market is expected to experience steady growth over the next five years. One of the main drivers for growth is the rising aging population and prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and malnutrition. As lifestyle diseases continue to rise rapidly, the demand for nutritional products tailored to specific health needs will increase. However, high costs of specialty medical foods remain a restraint to the industry's expansion into lower-tier cities and rural areas. The market is currently dominated by nutrition products for adult nutrition, especially those addressing nutrition needs in chronic illnesses. Within this segment, products for diabetes management have the largest share. However, pediatric nutrition is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing segment, driven by rising malnutrition rates among children.

Figure 1. India Medical Nutrition Market Share (%), By Indication, 2023

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India Medical Nutrition Market– Drivers

• Increasing Prevalence of Chronic and Lifestyle Diseases: The growing incidence of chronic diseases and changing lifestyles have been major factors fueling growth of India medical nutrition market. Non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and cancer have risen substantially over the past decade due to rapidly deteriorating dietary habits and rising levels of stress. As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes among adults increased from 9.3% in 2017 to 13.6% and 29.7%, respectively, in 2020. The WHO estimates that cardiovascular diseases now account for over 25% of all deaths in India each year. The latest data from the National Cancer Registry Programme also shows colorectal, breast and lung cancers growing at an annual rate of over 4% between 2020-2022.
• Rising Health Awareness and Focus on Preventive Care: There is growing consciousness among Indians regarding the importance of nutrition, diet, fitness, and overall well-being. Especially in the post-pandemic era, preventive healthcare has become a priority for a sizable population. This shift can be credited to constant health messaging by the government amid COVID-19 and the greater availability of medical information through digital platforms and social media influencers. As per a recent survey by the National Health Authority, over 80% of urban Indians and 60% of rural citizens now consider factors like diet, exercise, and periodic screenings important for long-term health protection. They are increasingly making lifestyle changes and seeking medical guidance in a bid to dodge illness risks in the future. Hence, this is expected to fuel the India medical nutrition market growth over the forecast period.

Figure 2. India Medical Nutrition Market Share(%), By Region, 2023

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India Medical Nutrition Market- Regional Analysis

• Among regions, the West India, comprising states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat, dominates India medical nutrition market. This is primarily due to the strong healthcare infrastructure and high per capita health expenditures in these states. As per the National Health Profile 2021 published by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, states like Maharashtra and Gujarat have the highest number of government and private hospitals as well as medical professionals per capita in the country. Furthermore, import and export data from International Trade Center's Trade Map database shows that ports in western India are leaders in importing and re-exporting medical nutrition products into the country. This ensures the wide availability of a variety of options for consumers. Additionally, the high disposable incomes in the urban centers of this region allow customers to spend more on niche medical foods and supplements compared to other regions.
• The southern region, especially Telangana and Karnataka, has emerged as the fastest -growing market for India medical nutrition in India. Multiple factors are driving this accelerated growth. As stated in the Medical Council of India report from September 2022, these two states are making large investments in establishing new medical colleges and super speciality hospitals. This has increased access to diagnosis and treatment requiring medical nutrition support.  Moreover, companies like Nutricia India and Nestle Healthcare Nutrition have set up large production facilities in this region over the last two years to cater to rising domestic demand. Their presence, coupled with the focus of state governments on attracting pharmaceutical and nutraceutical investments, is expected to make medical foods more widely and affordably available in southern India. Strong economic growth, enabling greater affordability among consumers in this region, further accelerates the huge potential for future market expansion.

India Medical Nutrition Market– Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

• Since the COVID-19 virus outbreak in December 2019, the disease has spread to over 100 countries across the globe, and the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency on January 30, 2020.
• The increasing use of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements for older adults to recover from COVID-19 has boosted growth of the India medical nutrition market. For instance, in June 2022, Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, a diagnostic and therapeutic information center, published a report on Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements for Older Adults with Long COVID-19, which stated that the age group of older adults has been affected most during COVID-19. Long-term COVID has a complex pathophysiology encompassing inflammatory and autoimmune processes, perturbations in metabolic pathways, alterations in endothelial function, and redox homeostasis. The management of long-term COVID requires a multidimensional approach that should include a comprehensive nutritional assessment. Several food bioactive compounds, nutraceuticals, and supplements may target specific pathways involved in long-term COVID and may, therefore, be used as adjunctive therapy to manage the condition.

India Medical Nutrition Market Segmentation:

The India medical nutrition market report is segmented by nutrition type, by patient type, by indication, by route of administration, by distribution channel

• By nutrition type , the market is segmented into proteins, carbohydrates, multi-vitamins, antioxidants, amino acid, fibers, minerals and others. Out of which, proteins are expected to hold a dominant position in the India medical nutrition market during the forecast period owing to rising health awareness among consumers.
• By patient type, the market is segmented into infant nutrition, adult nutrition, and geriatric nutrition. Out of which, the adult nutrition is expected to hold a dominant position in the India medical nutrition market during the forecast period owing to the owing to rising prevalence of lifestyle diseases. There has been a noticeable spike in conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac problems, etc. affecting working professionals in the age group of 25-55 years.
• By  Indication, the market is segmented into diabetes, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, metabolic syndromes, and others. Out of which, cancer is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to the growing cancer burden coupled with increasing awareness among healthcare professionals and patients about nutrition therapy's benefits.
• By route of administration, the market is segmented into oral, enteral and parenteral. Out of which, oral is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to the ease of consumption of nutrition products.
• By distribution channel, the market is segmented into hospitals, home care settings, long term care, and ambulatory surgical centers. Out of which, hospitals, is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to the easy availability of the products.
• Among all the segmentation, the indication segment is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period, and this is attributed to increasing prevalence of the diseases.

India Medical Nutrition Market- Cross Sectional Analysis:

• Increasing awareness about desk bound lifestyle and disease associated with them is will led to increase in the demand for nutritional products. There is a growing understanding among Indians about the various health benefits of consuming sufficient protein in daily their diet. This has led to a higher demand for protein-rich foods and supplements. Hence, increasing demand for protein-based products among the adult population will drive market growth over the forecast period. For instance, as per data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in November 2021, around 62% of Indian population suffers from protein deficiency to some extent. This puts them at high risk of developing lifestyle diseases. The ministry has been running various campaigns since 2020 to educate citizens about the importance of balancing macronutrients, including adequate protein intake. These efforts seem to be paying off as people are gradually shifting towards more protein-focused diets.
• As per data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in November 2021, around 62% of the Indian population suffers from protein deficiency to some extent. This puts them at high risk of developing lifestyle diseases. The ministry has been running various campaigns since 2020 to educate citizens about importance of balancing macronutrients including adequate protein intake. These efforts seem to be paying off as people are gradually shifting towards more protein-focused diets.

India Medical Nutrition Market: Key Developments

• In September 2022, Nestle Health Science, a nutrition, health and wellness company and division of Nestlé S.A., acquired the nutrition healthcare business of Microlabs in India. Microlabs provides products for conditions like diabetes, kidney ailments, liver disorders, etc. This acquisition will help Nestle expand its medical nutrition product range and leverage Microlabs' expertise and market reach to grow in clinical nutrition segment.
• In July 2022, Nutricia, a Danone brand, received regulatory approval for its immunonutrition drink, Nutridrink, in India. Nutridrink provides balanced nutrition and helps recover from illness and surgery. This approval extended availability of immunonutrition products in India and helped Nutricia launch an evidence-based solution and widen treatment options for patients.
• In November 2021, Herbalife Nutrition, a global nutrition company, launched a new range of science-based medical nutrition products in India. The range includes products for diabetes care, renal care, liver care etc. This expansion of Herbalife's product portfolio will help them reach more customers needing medical nutrition and strengthen their position in the growing medical nutrition market in India.
• In April 2021, Abbott, a healthcare company, launched the Ensure MedPlus range of products formulated for conditions like diabetes, chronic kidney disease etc. in India. This widened Abbott's preventive healthcare portfolio. The new range addresses the nutritional needs of those with chronic diseases and will help Abbott serve more customers needing specialized clinical nutrition products.

India Medical Nutrition Market: Key Trends

• Increasing product launches: Increasing adoption of organic growth strategies such as product launches is anticipated to boost the growth of India medical nutrition market over the forecast period. For instance, in August 2020, Danone India, a nutrition food company, expanded its Moov range of products with the launch of new formulations like Moov for diabetes care. This expanded Danone's presence in diabetes and clinical nutrition categories. The additional offerings strengthened Danone's position as a total nutrition partner for people with chronic conditions.

India Medical Nutrition Market: Restraint

High cost of specialized products, lack of awareness in some sections of society

• The India medical nutrition market is facing significant challenges to its growth due to some pressing issues. One of the major hurdles is the high cost of specialized medical nutrition products. These therapeutic products that are prescribed to manage diseases or medical conditions often have unique formulations tailored to the needs of patients. Developing such specialized formulas requires extensive research and testing, which drives up manufacturing costs. This makes these medical nutrition products exorbitantly expensive for a large section of the population to afford regularly.
• Further adding to the problem is a lack of adequate awareness among certain sections of society about the role of nutrition in healthcare. Medical nutrition is a relatively new concept in India compared to developed markets. Many people are still not fully informed about how specific nutrients and formulations can help treat ailments or enhance health outcomes. This issue is more prominent in rural and economically disadvantaged regions of the country. For instance, as per a study by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in 2020, over 50% of children and women in Jharkhand suffer from anemia due to nutritional deficiencies. However, a major segment of this population and local healthcare workers have low comprehension of how customized diet plans or supplements can boost iron levels and combat anemia. This is expected to restrict the market growth over the forecast period.

India Medical Nutrition Market - Key Players

Major players operating in the India medical nutrition market include Abbott Laboratories, Baxter International Inc., Danone S.A., Nestlé S.A., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Fresenius Kabi AG, BASF SE, Zeon Lifesciences Ltd., Mead, Johnson & Company, LLC., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Nutrimed Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, Zenova Bio Nutrition, Bionova Lifesciences, Healthy Life Pharma Pvt Ltd, Nutra Healthcare, Lifecare Neuro and Stabicoat Vitamins.

Definition: Medical nutrition includes specialized products for nutritional therapy: oral nutritional supplements, enteral tube feeding (via the gastrointestinal tract), and parenteral nutrition (intravenous nutrition). Medical nutrition helps patients of all ages address nutrient deficiencies caused by an illness, disorder, or condition when they cannot meet their needs through regular foods.