Mars Pet Nutrition India earlier this year announced the launch of a new digital-first campaign for the PEDIGREE brand in India, in collaboration with Indian cricketer and pet parent Jemimah Rodrigues. The campaign is based on the changing reality of modern pet-parenting, which encourages a shift towards more informed, nutrition-led feeding without compromising on what their pets love: taste.
Equivalent to the protein of 8 chicken livers¹, combined with 100% complete and balanced nutrition, when fed as recommended, PEDIGREE® Gravy is a delicious and nourishing choice for pets.
As a devoted pet parent and one of India’s prominent young sports personalities, Jemimah is known for her discipline, energy and performance-driven mindset. She lends her strong voice to the campaign, not only as a cricketer but also as a pet parent who understands the importance of making the right feeding choices for pets.
PEDIGREE Gravy is positioned as an everyday feeding solution, supported by the Waltham Petcare Science Institute. This reflects Mars Pet Nutrition’s leadership in the wet food category in India. By integrating decades of global nutritional research with formats that align with local feeding habits, the brand has significantly helped make balanced nutrition more intuitive and a complement to home-cooked meals.
The campaign brings this to life through cricket-themed films featuring Jemimah Rodrigues, capturing everyday moments between pets and their parents, and highlighting how PEDIGREE Gravy can turn routine feeding into moments of joy and connection.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Ayesha Huda, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Pet Nutrition India
Q. India’s pet care industry is still at a nascent stage. What growth potential exists in the coming three years?
India’s pet care industry is on a rapid growth trajectory, even though it still remains at a nascent stage compared to more mature markets globally. The pet food category in India is currently valued at nearly $551 million. It is projected to grow to approximately $841 million by 2028, with a 12–15% CAGR over the next three years.
This growth is being driven by multiple structural shifts, rising disposable incomes, nuclearisation of families, increasing pet adoption, and a strong shift towards packaged, science-backed pet nutrition. India also has the world’s largest Gen Z population, with nearly 400 million digitally savvy consumers reshaping pet parenting behaviours and driving awareness of informed care.
According to the Mars–IPSOS Global Pet Parent Survey 2025, nearly 70% of Indian pet parents are first-time owners. This group, largely composed of Millennials and Gen Z, is creating opportunities for education, category expansion, and ecosystem collaboration. At the same time, household penetration and calorie conversion remain low, which highlights the headroom for long-term growth in the category.
At Mars Pet Nutrition, we are excited about this opportunity because it means more pet parents will benefit from making the right nutritional choices for their pets. Our focus is not just on growing the market, but on shaping it responsibly through science-backed nutrition, innovation, and investments in long-term manufacturing and ecosystem capabilities in India.
Q. What goals has Mars Pet Nutrition India set for itself, and what is the game plan going to be to get there?
Mars Pet Nutrition India’s long-term strategy is anchored in driving a behavior shift in the category, helping pet parents move from home-cooked feeding to scientifically formulated, 100% complete and balanced nutrition.
As pet parenting evolves in India, the opportunity is not just to increase penetration, but to shape how the category grows. With over 50% market share, Mars recognizes its responsibility to build the category in the right way, through education, science-backed innovation, and wider access.
Our focus lies on:
● Educating pet parents on the role of complete and balanced nutrition
● Driving calorie conversion across feeding occasions and segments
● Innovating for India across life-stage nutrition, functional health, and relevant feeding formats
● Strengthening omnichannel access across e-commerce, retail, and veterinary networks
● Building a pet parent–first ecosystem backed by science-based nutrition
Our aim is not to add more products, but to get it right. Every innovation is designed to solve a real health or behavioural need, backed by science and relevant to Indian pet parents.
For instance, PEDIGREE Procare has been developed with veterinarians to support better immune health. For cats, WHISKAS dry with POCKETS taps into cats’ natural sensory instincts through a crunchy exterior and creamy centre. Within Sheba, Melty Spoons offers a mess-free, bonding-led feeding experience, while Temptations MixUps brings playful taste variety to the treats portfolio.
Globally, Mars Pet Nutrition’s research foundation, led by the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, enables us to bring decades of clinical research into solutions relevant to local markets like India.
Q. Will the goal of marketing be to better educate Indian pet parents?
Yes, education is central to our marketing efforts, making the world a better place for pets and in turn, growing the category. As a market leader, Mars Pet Nutrition India has a responsibility to educate pet parents and help grow the category. The focus is on enabling a shift from instinct-led feeding to informed decision-making by helping pet parents understand the difference between pet and human nutrition.
This includes:
● Driving awareness around complete and balanced diets
● Empowering pet parents to make research-driven choices focused on long-term well-being
● Educating pet parents on digital platforms where they are seeking clarity
● Handholding puppy & kitten pet parents since 70% of them are new to the category
Q. The challenge is to balance emotional storytelling with scientific facts. How will the company approach this challenge?
The approach is to balance emotional storytelling with scientific credibility in a way that feels authentic and relatable to Indian pet parents. Emotional storytelling is anchored in the realities of pet parenting, the everyday moments of love, care, bonding, and responsibility that pet parents experience with their pets. Since pets are increasingly seen as family members, feeding becomes one of the strongest expressions of love.
At the same time, the fact that pets receive nutritional benefits through complete and balanced diets is firmly established. Our communication simplifies science through relatable comparisons and easy-to-understand education. For example, in one of our popular campaigns last year, ‘Love Them Like Family, Feed Them Like Dogs,’ our brand films highlight the nutritional value of PEDIGREE® adult dry dog food, where a daily serving provides the protein of 8 chicken livers, the calcium of 9 cups of milk, and the Vitamin E of 64 carrots. Similarly, PEDIGREE® Gravy has been positioned as a solution that combines taste with functional benefits, offering 100% complete and balanced nutrition when fed as recommended, while delivering protein equivalent to eight chicken livers.
We continue to educate pet parents through initiatives such as the “Feed Them Right” campaigns, and that home-cooked meals come from a place of love and that they do not meet the nutritional needs pets require unless guided by experts.
The larger objective is not to separate emotion from science, but to show that responsible pet parenting comes from combining both, feeding pets not just with love, but with the right nutrition that supports healthier digestion, immunity, energy, and overall well-being.
Q. How did the tie-up between PEDIGREE and Jemimah Rodrigues come about? How effective is cricket in building an emotional connect?
The campaign is based on the changing reality of modern pet-parenting, encouraging a shift towards more informed, nutrition-led feeding without compromising what their pets love, which is taste.
Jemimah brings credibility, which helps build a bridge when educating pet parents, while also leveraging the emotional pull of cricket to reinforce the message of informed, responsible pet care in a way that feels both credible and culturally relevant.
Cricket, as a sport, holds a unique place in India; it cuts across demographics and builds an instant emotional connection with audiences. Sportspersons are often seen as disciplined, trustworthy, and relatable figures, making them powerful voices in driving education and behaviour change. When combined with their personal stories as pet parents, this connection becomes even stronger.
Q. What marketing campaigns and innovations can we expect from PEDIGREE and Mars’ other brands in the coming months?
Mars Pet Nutrition India will continue to focus on insight-driven, pet parent–first campaigns that reflect real experiences and evolving needs. The emphasis will remain on combining emotional storytelling with education while strengthening engagement across platforms.
Key areas of focus include:
● Insight-backed innovation on Pedigree be it flavor or functional health
● Creator-led content, such as the Pawsome Parents series
● Digital engagement and community-building initiatives
Each brand will continue to play a distinct role within the portfolio: PEDIGREE will highlight food as care and responsibility, WHISKAS will address real feeding challenges for cats, and SHEBA will elevate indulgence into a premium experience without compromising on nutrition.
Q. Will the media mix of Mars Pet Nutrition India revolve mainly around digital in 2026? Any change compared with 2025?
Recognising the ever-increasing influence of digital interactions in pet parenting, we strategically allocate the campaign’s budget across channels as needed. One of the key goals across all our campaigns is to identify and target pet parents precisely. Digital platforms allow us to engage directly with pet parents through highly personalised, relevant content, whether on social media, search engines, or community forums. This approach ensures that we meet them where they are most active, capturing their attention during moments of need or inquiry.
Therefore, we remain digital-first in our approach as the signals for pet parents are readily available here. Even with Influencers, we choose faces that are engaged pet parents and can relate to other pet parents.
Q. What is the advantage of Mars using Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) for personalised targetting?
DCO is an integral part of the automation within our marketing ecosystem that we are developing with our agency partners.. Since pet parent signals can be quite strong, it is essential to respond with relevant information when it is most needed to drive education.
For example, if a puppy pet parent is considering home-cooked feeding options and decides to use a search engine, we must be able to guide them to the right product.
Q. How will Mars Pet Nutrition India boost its influencer marketing strategy in 2026?
Yes – Influencer remains a big part of our strategy, but we will continue to learn around it. We have several new use cases we are working with
● Use for Sampling
● Use for being Category Education
● Use for New Format Education
Q. What role will sampling play in driving purchase decisions in 2026?
Sampling will play an important role in enabling trial and accelerating behaviour change in a developing category like pet nutrition. As awareness grows, experiencing the product firsthand becomes critical for building trust and adoption.
Sampling initiatives:
● Help pet parents understand the benefits of formats like gravy-based nutrition
● Demonstrate key attributes such as taste, hydration, and palatability
● Encourage trial and informed decision-making
Q. Has AI been completely integrated into Mars Pet Nutrition India, including the marketing function?
AI is being embraced as a strategic enabler while ensuring it complements, not overshadows, the human touch that defines great marketing. In a market like India, where emotional storytelling and authenticity are deeply ingrained, AI’s role is to enhance, not replace, creativity.
AI enables:
● Hyper-personalised consumer engagement
● Predictive analytics and better targetting
Automation of routine tasks.
