Decoding India’s Newfound Obsession with Health and Wellness

In his 2001 book, Fooled by Randomness, the Lebanese-American essayist and mathematical statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb coined the term ‘black swan event’. A ‘black swan event’, explains Taleb, is an unexpected once-in-a-lifetime event that has a large impact and is often misconstrued as predictable in hindsight.

The Covid-19 Awakening

One such event that perfectly fits the definition of a ‘black swan event’ is the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India recorded approximately 45mn confirmed Covid-19 cases and 5,33,623 deaths, resulting in an observed case fatality rate (CFR) of 1.2%, based on the latest datasets.

This means more than one out of every 100 people diagnosed with the virus lost their life, and this takes into account only the official data.

But one of the behavioural changes the virus prompted was individuals prioritising preventive health care over curative measures.

“The pandemic changed people’s relationship with health at a very fundamental level. Earlier, most individuals only thought about health when something went wrong i.e., when they fell sick or developed a chronic condition. But Covid-19 forced a behavioural shift. Health became a daily concern; something proactive, not reactive. The fear of infection, the reality of social distancing and the uncertainty around how the virus worked made people far more conscious of immunity, nutrition and day-to-day wellbeing. Preventive health care moved from the periphery to the mainstream” says Tushar Vashisht, co-founder and chief executive of digital wellness company Healthify.

Lockdown Saga

Then came the lockdowns and the turn to online platforms as mediums of socialisation and entertainment.

A Statista survey reported that during the first week of the nation‐wide lockdown in March 2020, consumption across several digital media types increased significantly compared to the week before. For example, social media usage rose by almost 75% and streaming TV increased by approximately 71%.

A huge chunk of this information was related to health and fitness, understandably due to the nature of the virus. During the lockdown, several fitness and medical professionals started creating content online.

“At the peak of the crisis, there was an unprecedented surge in fitness-at-home, virtual rehab and self-care tools—driven by lockdowns and fear of exposure. People became far more proactive, focusing on daily wellness, mental health and preventive care rather than just reacting to illness,” says Rahul Bajaj, founder and chief executive of Digital Darwin, Speeed.AI.

The Post-Pandemic World

The post-Covid-19 era has seen a society that is more health conscious, adept at using technology and digital resources, strives for a healthier lifestyle and is willing to invest in health and wellness.

According to a survey by Habbit Health and Nutrition, 70% of respondents reported a stronger inclination to improve their health through dietary changes compared to before the pandemic. Nearly one in four, or 26%, prioritised meditation more highly. Additionally, 65% expressed greater reliance on medical and nutritional experts to achieve their health goals.

Today, numerous innovative health-tech and fitness start-ups have emerged to meet the growing demand for health and wellness solutions.

The preventive health care sector, which includes exercise, wellness, foods and supplements, early diagnosis and health tracking is projected to reach $197bn by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22%, according to data from Reedser Consulting, Chiratae Ventures and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

In December 2022, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) invested Rs 334 crore to acquire a combined majority/minority stake in Zywie Ventures and Nutrition Lab. In January 2025, HUL further acquired a 90.5% majority stake in Uprising Science’s skincare brand Minimalist for Rs 29.55bn, aiming to capitalise on the growing health and wellness sector.

Through these strategic acquisitions, HUL is also diversifying its portfolio, leveraging digital and direct-to-consumer channels and addressing the increasing demand for health, wellness and ingredient transparency.

What’s Behind the Surge

The demand for health-tech and fitness start-ups surged during and right after the pandemic. Healthify’s Vashisht describes it as a pivotal moment for the start-up, with its user base doubling annually during the two years of the pandemic. Similarly, Digital Darwin’s Bajaj shared that their start-up witnessed a threefold increase in digital care and fitness engagement in the immediate post-Covid-19 years.

Notably, a significant portion of users came from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, including working professionals and young athletes.

“Virtual rehab and AI-guided physiotherapy sessions skyrocketed, especially in remote and underserved geographies. Likewise, self-guided digital fitness routines gained popularity among working professionals and young athletes looking for flexibility,” Bajaj said.

This trend has been aided by the rising availability of credible health information via digital channels. Traditional norms around health are evolving and a significant portion of the younger, urban population is embracing healthier practices, fuelling demand for innovative products and services in the wellness sector.

Multiple brands have adopted the strategy of highlighting their hero ingredient on the front of their products to cater to users.

For instance, skincare start-up The Derma Co. prints its complete INCI ingredient lists and exact active percentages on every pack, enabling consumers to verify concentrations of actives like niacinamide, arbutin, and hyaluronic acid before purchase.

Similarly, Minimalist brands itself as “India’s The Ordinary,” featuring straightforward, science‑backed formulations and listing all ingredients in descending order of concentration right on the box, accompanied by educational blurbs about each key actives’ benefits.

“With users now more informed about nutrition, fitness, mental health, and lifestyle choices, there’s less room for vague claims and more demand for transparency and credibility,” Vashisht said.

An Urban Middle Class

Rapid urbanisation and changes in lifestyle have led to an increase in chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension cardiovascular diseases and mental health challenges.

“Lifestyle shifts over the past decade have had a profound impact on public health. Sedentary routines, irregular sleep, poor nutrition and rising stress levels—especially among urban and working populations—have led to a spike in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. This growing health burden has exposed the limitations of traditional, reactive health care systems,” says Bajaj.

This has prompted consumers to seek preventive health care solutions rather than merely treating diseases once they manifest.

India’s rising middle class and the growing proportion of young consumers, who are more health conscious and digitally connected, are driving demand for modern wellness solutions. With increased disposable incomes and evolving lifestyle aspirations, these demographics are more willing to pay a premium for products and services that support a healthier lifestyle.

“The mid-income segment in India is becoming more health conscious. With increasing awareness around lifestyle diseases and better access to health information, more people are investing in preventive care early on. Subscription plans have found particular favour among this demographic, offering affordable and easy-to-use solutions for fitness tracking, diet management and daily health insights,” says Vashisht, adding that their user base predominantly consists of individuals aged 25-50 years.