Bengaluru-based premium pet wellness brand Dogsee Chew earlier this year made its debut at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2026, marking a significant milestone for India’s fast-growing pet care industry on a global stage.
Founded by entrepreneurs and pet parents Bhupendra Khanal and Sneh Sharma, Dogsee has pioneered the Himalayan yak chew category globally with its natural, Chhurpi-based dog treats sourced from the Himalayas. Today, the brand is present in over 30 countries and trusted by more than a million pet parents worldwide.
Dogsee’s presence at Cannes goes beyond a brand showcase. It reflects the growing cultural and commercial relevance of pet wellness, as conversations around pet nutrition, conscious caregiving, and holistic wellbeing continue to gain global momentum.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Bhupendra Khanal and Sneh Sharma, Co-founders Dogsee Chew.
Q. What was the gap in the market for dog food that led to Dogsee Chew being founded in 2015?
When we started Dogsee in 2015, the pet treat market was dominated by rawhide and chemically processed options loaded with preservatives, artificial flavours and ingredients that no conscious pet parent would feel good about. As pet parents ourselves, we were constantly reading labels and finding things we couldn’t pronounce, let alone feel comfortable feeding our dog.
The gap was glaring: there was no truly natural, clean, preservative-free alternative that was also genuinely enjoyable for dogs. The answer came to us in the Himalayas, where we discovered Chhurpi, a centuries-old hardened yak milk cheese that local dogs had been chewing on for generations. The dogs were healthy, energetic and thriving.
We didn’t invent the Himalayan yak chew. We simply recognised that what the mountains had always known, the world’s pet parents deserved to know too. That insight became Dogsee and it became the foundation of an entirely new global product category.
Q. The goal four years back was to become the top-most natural pet supplies brand in Asia, with a significant global presence. To what extent has the goal been achieved?
The goal was ambitious and the progress has been equally so. Today Dogsee is present in 30+ countries, trusted by over a million pet parents worldwide and recognised as the biggest exporter of pet treats from India. We are among the top 5 brands on Amazon Global in the treats category and the only Indian pet brand present in Japan.
In terms of the Asia ambition, Dogsee has firmly established itself as a leading natural pet treat brand not just in Asia but globally. The US and Canada have emerged as key growth markets alongside our strong Asian presence.
Honestly, the vision has evolved beyond the original goal. We no longer think of Dogsee as an Asian brand with global presence. We think of it as a global brand with Himalayan roots. The goal today is not just to be the biggest brand in the world. It is to be the most trusted one.
Q. In scaling Dogsee Chew across 30+ international markets while maintaining sustainability and quality sourcing, what has been the big challenge and learning?
The biggest challenge was building a supply chain that could scale without compromising on the very thing that made Dogsee special in the first place: its source.
Sourcing from 25,000 Himalayan farmers while maintaining consistent quality, fair livelihoods and full traceability across 30+ markets is not a simple operation. There were no ready-made systems for what we were trying to build. We had to create the infrastructure ourselves, from the ground up.
The learning was that sustainability and scale are not opposites. They reinforce each other when you build them together from the start. Our carbon-negative manufacturing facility, our direct farmer relationships and our commitment to zero additives have become our strongest competitive advantages globally, not constraints.
The other learning was patience. Building trust in international markets takes time. Pet parents are discerning and loyal. Once they trust you, they stay. But earning that trust requires consistency, transparency and a product that delivers on its promise every single time.
Q. As pet parenting evolves globally, what trends are being seen in global consumer demand in categories such as premium nutrition, functional treats, holistic wellbeing, and conscious caregiving?
The most significant shift we are witnessing is the humanisation of pets at a global scale. Pet parents today are making the same conscious, informed choices for their dogs that they make for themselves and their families.
In premium nutrition, the demand for clean label products, single ingredient treats and human-grade nutrition is accelerating across every market we operate in. Functional treats are the next frontier, with pet parents seeking products that address specific health needs like joint support, dental hygiene, immunity and gut health.
Holistic wellbeing is moving from a niche conversation to a mainstream expectation. Pet parents want to understand the full picture of their dog’s health, not just what goes in the bowl.
And conscious caregiving is reshaping purchasing behaviour entirely. Where ingredients come from, how they are sourced, what impact the brand has on the environment and the communities it works with: these are questions today’s pet parent asks before making a purchase. Dogsee was built for exactly this consumer.
Q. How is changing consumer behaviour driving premiumisation in pet nutrition and wellness?
Premiumisation in pet nutrition is being driven by one fundamental shift: pets are no longer just pets. They are family. And family deserves the best.
As that emotional relationship between pet parents and their dogs deepens, the willingness to invest in quality nutrition, preventive care and overall wellness has grown significantly. Pet parents are no longer asking what is cheapest. They are asking what is best.
In India, this evolution is accelerating faster than anyone anticipated. The urban Indian pet parent today is informed, research-driven and unwilling to compromise on quality. Premium is no longer a luxury consideration. It is a trustworthy consideration.
Internationally, particularly in the US and Europe, this behaviour is already well established. The natural and organic pet food segment is one of the fastest growing in the entire consumer goods industry.
Dogsee sits at the intersection of all of these forces: natural, functional, ethically sourced and rooted in a tradition that resonates deeply with the conscious consumer of today.
Q. How did the presence at the 79th Cannes Film Festival 2026 come about? How was the experience?
When the opportunity to be at Cannes presented itself, we never thought twice. A platform that celebrates the world’s most powerful stories felt like the right place for Dogsee to show up. We have spent a decade building something rooted in truth and Cannes is where truth gets seen.
The experience was surreal. Standing on that red carpet, representing Indian entrepreneurship on one of the world’s most iconic stages, was something we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.
What made it deeply personal was that we could not imagine being there without acknowledging the journey that brought us here. And that journey has Mowgli at its heart. He was our dog, our companion and the reason so much of what Dogsee stands for exists. Being at Cannes without him felt incomplete. So we found our own way to bring him along: through custom-made outfits where he sat at the very centre of everything we wore that day. And if the conversations on that red carpet were anything to go by, Mowgli made quite the impression at Cannes.
That is what this moment meant to us. Not just a milestone. A memory.
Q. How does this presence reflect a larger global shift where pet wellness is increasingly becoming part of mainstream consumer, retail, lifestyle, and wellness conversations?
Dogsee’s presence at Cannes is a reflection of exactly that shift. A few years ago, the idea of a pet wellness brand on the Cannes red carpet would have seemed completely out of place. Today it feels not just appropriate but necessary.
Pet wellness has moved from the periphery of consumer culture to its centre. It is now a lifestyle conversation, a retail priority, a wellness category and a cultural statement all at once. The same values that drive conscious human consumption, clean ingredients, ethical sourcing, sustainability and transparency, are now being applied to how people care for their pets.
Cannes sits at the intersection of culture, creativity and global influence. Dogsee being present there signals to the world that pet wellness is not a niche. It is a mainstream global movement. And India, through Dogsee, is not just participating in that movement. It is helping lead it.
Q. What other marketing activities and innovations can one expect from Dogsee Chew in 2026?
2026 is a significant year for Dogsee on multiple fronts. The Cannes debut has opened conversations with global media, retail partners and collaborators that will shape the brand’s next chapter.
On the product front, we are continuing to expand our functional treat range and deepening our Dogsee Activet Plus+ wellness supplement line to complete the circle of daily care for dogs.
On the marketing front, the focus is on deepening our community of pet parents globally through content that educates, inspires and builds genuine trust. Founder-led storytelling will remain central to how we communicate, as Sneh and Bhupi’s authentic voices resonate deeply with pet parents who want to know the people behind the brand they trust.
We are also investing in strengthening our presence in key international markets, particularly the US and Canada, through targeted digital marketing, retail partnerships and community building among the global pet parent community.
Q. Is the goal of marketing going to revolve around building the trust of over 1 million pet parents globally?
Trust is not just a marketing goal for Dogsee. It is the foundation the entire brand is built on.
One million pet parents is a milestone we are proud of. But the goal was never just reached. It was the depth of the relationship. A pet parent who trusts Dogsee doesn’t just buy our products. They advocate for them, recommend them to other pet parents and stay loyal through every new product we launch.
Building that level of trust at scale requires consistency across every touchpoint: the quality of the product, the transparency of our communication, the authenticity of our founders and the values the brand stands for.
As we grow into new markets and new product categories, that trust becomes our most valuable asset. Every marketing decision we make is evaluated against one question: does this build or compromise the trust of our pet parents? That filter guides everything.
Q. Will the media mix be led by digital or will traditional media like TV, print, OOH also play an important role?
Digital is and will remain the primary engine of Dogsee’s marketing. The modern pet parent is deeply online. They research products, read reviews, follow pet communities and make purchase decisions through digital channels. Amazon Global, social media and targeted digital campaigns allow us to reach exactly the right pet parent at exactly the right moment across 30+ countries. The precision, measurability and community-building potential of digital is unmatched for a brand like ours.
That said, we are not a brand that believes in a one-size-fits-all approach to communication. Our audience spans geographies, cultures and consumer behaviours that are vastly different from each other. Where our pet parents are most comfortable, most receptive and most engaged is where Dogsee will show up. If that means print in certain markets, OOH in others or television where it genuinely moves the needle, we remain completely open to it.
The media mix will always follow the audience, not the other way around.
Q. How does digital allow for better targeting of dog owners? Are there certain times of the day when they are more receptive to messaging?
Digital gives Dogsee an unparalleled ability to speak directly to pet parents based on their behaviour, interests and purchase history. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Amazon allow us to reach dog owners with precision, serving them content and products that are genuinely relevant to their stage of pet parenting.
Pet parent communities online are highly engaged and deeply loyal. They actively seek information, share experiences and recommend products to each other. Being present in those communities with authentic, valuable content is far more powerful than traditional broadcast advertising.
In terms of timing, morning and evening tend to be peak engagement windows for pet parent content, aligned with walking and feeding routines. Weekends also see higher engagement as pet parents spend more time with their dogs.
The key insight is that pet parents are never really off. Their love for their dogs is constant. The brands that build genuine relationships rather than just serving ads are the ones that earn lasting loyalty.
Q. Apart from the 79th Cannes Film Festival 2026, what other events is Dogsee Chew looking at having a presence in?
Global pet industry events remain central to Dogsee’s international presence strategy, as they fit best for the brand to connect with international retailers, distributors and industry stakeholders.
As we deepen our presence in the world, certain trade events and pet wellness summits will become increasingly important. Beyond industry events, Dogsee is looking at lifestyle and wellness platforms that reflect the evolving positioning of pet care within the broader conscious consumer movement. The pet wellness conversation is no longer confined to pet industry spaces. It is happening at food festivals, wellness summits and lifestyle events globally.
Dogsee intends to be present wherever that conversation is happening, bringing the Himalayan story to audiences who may not yet know us but are exactly the kind of conscious consumers we are built for.
Q. How will Dogsee Chew approach B2B marketing to strengthen relationships with retail outlets and online distributors?
Dogsee’s B2B approach is built on the same foundation as its consumer marketing: trust, transparency and a product that consistently delivers.
For retail partners, the strength of the Dogsee brand with end consumers is our most powerful B2B tool. Retailers want brands that their customers already know, trust and ask for by name. As Dogsee’s consumer community grows globally, that pull-through demand makes us an increasingly attractive partner for retail outlets and distributors.
On the online side, our strong Amazon Global presence and track record in the top 5 of the treats category provides distributors with clear evidence of consumer demand and brand credibility.
We are also investing in dedicated trade marketing support for our key markets, ensuring that retail partners have the tools, content and insights they need to position Dogsee effectively for their customers. The B2B relationship is ultimately a reflection of the B2C strength. We build one by building the other.
Q. How is AI helping the company expand beyond yak chews into training treats, dental chews, functional flavoured variants and wellness supplements under Dogsee Activet Plus+?
AI is playing an increasingly important role in how Dogsee understands its consumers and develops products that genuinely meet their needs.
On the product development side, AI-driven consumer insights help us identify gaps in the market, understand which health concerns pet parents are most focused on and prioritise the functional benefits that matter most across different markets. This has directly informed the expansion of our functional flavoured yak chew range and the development of the Dogsee Activet Plus+ wellness supplement line.
On the marketing side, AI allows us to personalise content and product recommendations for pet parents based on their dog’s breed, age and health needs, making the Dogsee experience more relevant and valuable at every touchpoint.
As we scale our product portfolio, AI will become an even more important tool in ensuring that every new product we launch is backed by real consumer insight rather than assumption.
Q. What role is predictive analytics playing in the strategic focus on scaling in the US, Canada, Europe and APAC markets? What similarities and differences are being observed between India and other markets?
Predictive analytics is helping Dogsee make smarter decisions about where to invest, which products to prioritise in which markets and how to position the brand most effectively across very different consumer landscapes.
The core similarity across all markets is the direction of travel: pet parents everywhere are moving toward natural, clean and premium nutrition. The desire to do right by their pets is universal.
The differences lie in the pace and the starting point. The US and European markets are further along the premiumisation curve, with consumers already well versed in reading labels and seeking functional benefits. India is accelerating rapidly but is still in an earlier stage of that journey, which represents a significant growth opportunity.
In APAC, the pet humanisation trend is growing fastest in markets like Japan, South Korea and Australia. These are markets where Dogsee’s natural, Himalayan positioning resonates deeply with consumers who have a strong cultural affinity for provenance and quality.
Predictive analytics helps us read these signals early and move decisively.
