Mars Veterinary Health has entered the Indian veterinary segment through a minority investment in Crown Veterinary Services, whose financial details were not disclosed.
The veterinary health segment is seeing increased activity from traditional corporates and start-ups, both in terms of food and services. Earlier this year, the Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital opened its facility in Mumbai, for small pets.
Mars Veterinary Health is a global division of Mars Petcare. A family-owned, global player in pet care, Mars Incorporated has about 10 pet care brands in its basket with sales of over $1 billion in sales, including Royal Canin, Pedigree, Whiskas and Sheba, to name a few. With more than 150,000 associates across its petcare, snacking and food businesses, Mars clocked a net sales of more than $50 billion in 2023, the company had said, earlier this year.
Eight clinics
Crown Vet has eight clinics across five cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. “Through this investment, Crown Vet will expand its network and introduce advanced training programmes for its 240 employees, including 60 veterinarians,” a note on behalf of Crown Vet said.
Pratapsinh Gaekwad, Founder, Crown Vet, called the investment a “significant milestone” for the company and segment of industry. With roughly 3,000 veterinary clinics globally, Mars Veterinary Health is a leader in quality, compassionate veterinary care and takes a long-term approach to investments to support associates, the note said.
This collaboration underscores the growing demand for advanced veterinary services in India, driven by increasing pet ownership and appreciation of the human-animal bond, and thus the need for high-quality pet healthcare, it added.