In conversation with Dr. Shashank Sinha, CEO of Drools Pet Food Pvt Ltd., he delves into the thinking behind India’s first shelf-stable Fresh Food range, the science of blending Indian food culture with clean-label pet nutrition, and the brand’s expansion into aquaculture with Finsters.
Question- Drools has recently launched Fresh Food, introducing a new category in pet nutrition. What was the thought process behind developing Fresh Food?
Fresh Food was born from a simple observation: today’s pet parents want the emotional reassurance of feeding home-style meals, but they also want the confidence of scientifically balanced nutrition and the convenience that modern lifestyles demand.
Globally, fresh feeding is one of the fastest-growing segments in pet nutrition, but most solutions depend on refrigeration and cold-chain logistics, making them difficult to scale in a market like India. We saw this not just as a logistical challenge, but as an opportunity to innovate.
Our objective was to create a fresh feeding solution that combined high-quality ingredients, complete and balanced nutrition, and food safety without requiring refrigeration before opening. By combining expert formulation with advanced Tetra Recart® packaging technology, we were able to develop a product that is shelf stable, convenient, and capable of reaching pet parents across the country.
For us, Fresh Food is more than a product launch. It represents the next evolution of pet nutrition in India—bringing together science, innovation, and convenience to meet the changing expectations of modern pet parents.
Question- Recipes like Chicken Biryani are clearly designed to appeal to Indian pet parents’ own food culture. How much of Fresh Food’s development was driven by local palates versus global fresh-food trends in pet nutrition?
Drools Fresh Food was developed by a team of pet nutritionists and experts who combine scientific expertise with a deep understanding of the needs and preferences of Indian pet parents. Globally, fresh feeding has become one of the fastest-growing segments because pet parents increasingly want meals that feel closer to home-cooked food while still delivering complete and balanced nutrition.
In India, we observed a similar emotional connection. Pet parents naturally associate familiar recipes with care and nourishment. While names like Chicken Biryani create an immediate sense of familiarity, the recipes themselves are formulated specifically for dogs by our pet nutritionists. They are not adaptations of human food but scientifically balanced meals designed to meet canine nutritional requirements.
Our objective is to bridge the gap between emotional reassurance and nutritional precision and not humanise pet food. The inspiration comes from Indian food culture, while the formulation follows globally accepted veterinary nutrition principles. This combination allows pet parents to serve something that feels familiar, while having complete confidence that every meal is nutritionally balanced.
Question- Cold chain and shelf-life are the classic hurdles for fresh pet food, especially in a market as geographically diverse as India. How did Drools solve for freshness and distribution outside metro cities? Also, there have been several new launches in pet food and fish feed by Drools. Tell us about the thought behind Fresh Food.
One of the biggest challenges in bringing fresh pet food to India is that traditional fresh products rely heavily on refrigeration throughout the supply chain. That model works in some international markets but becomes far more difficult to scale across India’s diverse geography.
When we developed Drools Fresh Food, we wanted to solve that challenge rather than work around it. Our goal was to create a fresh feeding solution that could deliver complete and balanced nutrition without depending on an uninterrupted cold chain.
We achieved this by combining carefully formulated recipes with advanced Tetra Recart® packaging technology. The meals are slow-cooked in a nutrient-rich broth, filled into the cartons, hermetically sealed, and commercially sterilised. This process ensures food safety and shelf stability while helping preserve flavour, texture, and nutritional quality without requiring refrigeration before opening.
This approach allows us to reach pet parents not only in metropolitan cities but also in Tier II and Tier III markets through our existing distribution network.
More broadly, our recent product launches across pet food and aquaculture reflect the same philosophy—to identify unmet nutritional needs and address them through science, innovation, and technology. Fresh Food represents another step in that journey by creating an entirely new category for Indian pet nutrition that combines convenience, safety, and nutritional precision.
Question- Why did Drools choose Tetra packaging considering it is an expensive packaging? Are you positioning it as premium food?
Our decision to use Tetra Recart® was driven by product performance rather than packaging cost. When we set out to develop Drools Fresh Food, we knew that the packaging had to be an active part of protecting the food—not simply a container.
Tetra Recart® enables hermetic sealing and commercial sterilisation while creating a strong barrier against oxygen, light, and contamination. This helps maintain freshness, aroma, texture, and nutritional quality throughout the product’s shelf life without requiring refrigeration before opening.
Yes, Fresh Food is positioned as a premium offering, but premium today is about delivering greater value through science, quality, and convenience. The investment in advanced packaging reflects our commitment to providing pet parents with a product that combines high-quality ingredients, complete and balanced nutrition, food safety, and ease of use.
Ultimately, we see packaging as an integral part of the product experience. Even the best recipe can only deliver its intended nutritional benefits if it reaches the pet in the condition it was designed to.
Question- “Feed Real, Feed Clean” has been Drools’ ethos since founding. How does Fresh Food push that philosophy further than your existing dry food and treats lines already do?
“Feed Real, Feed Clean” has always reflected our commitment to delivering safe, high-quality, scientifically formulated nutrition. Drools Fresh Food extends that philosophy into an entirely new feeding experience.
The range combines high meat inclusion with human-grade ingredients in clean-label recipes that contain no fillers, soy, wheat, or corn. Every recipe is formulated by pet nutrition experts to provide complete and balanced nutrition, ensuring consistency in every serving.
What makes Fresh Food different is that it brings together multiple layers of innovation. It combines carefully formulated recipes, gentle slow cooking in nutrient-rich broth, advanced packaging technology, and the convenience of shelf-stable storage without refrigeration before opening.
For pet parents, this means they no longer have to choose between the emotional appeal of home-style feeding and the confidence of scientifically balanced nutrition. Fresh Food delivers both, while remaining true to our philosophy of providing real, clean, and trustworthy nutrition for pets.
Question- How does celebrity endorsement help? Why did you choose celebrity chefs over film stars?
In a country like India, celebrities have an unparalleled ability to create awareness and start conversations at scale. The key is choosing ambassadors whose expertise genuinely reinforces the story you’re trying to tell.
With Drools Fresh Food, our objective was to educate pet parents about nutrition, ingredient quality, and fresh feeding-not just awareness. That’s why partnering with celebrated chefs felt like a far more authentic choice than using conventional film celebrities.
Chefs represent expertise in food. They understand ingredients, quality, freshness, cooking techniques, and the emotional role food plays in our lives. Those values align naturally with what Fresh Food stands for—a thoughtfully prepared, nutritionally balanced meal made with high-quality ingredients.
A chef also helps bridge an important emotional connection. Pet parents increasingly view their dogs as family members, and they want to feed them with the same level of care they expect for themselves. Having respected culinary experts endorse the philosophy behind fresh feeding makes that message far more credible.
Ultimately, trust is built through authenticity and we wanted conversations around nutrition and food quality.
Question- What has the journey been like in building India’s only multinational-backed pet food company, and what have been the key learnings along the way?
The journey has been both exciting and humbling. We’ve had the privilege of growing alongside India’s pet care industry, and our recent unicorn valuation is a reflection of the confidence that consumers, investors, and partners have in our vision of building a world-class pet nutrition company from India.
When we started, pet food was still viewed largely as a convenience product. Today, pet parents ask detailed questions about ingredients, digestibility, sourcing, manufacturing standards, and nutritional science. That evolution has fundamentally changed the category and pushed us to keep innovating.
One of the biggest learnings has been that trust cannot be built through marketing alone. It comes from consistently investing in research, quality manufacturing, veterinary science, and products that genuinely solve consumer needs.
Our multinational partnerships have further strengthened that approach by giving us access to global expertise, technologies, and best practices, while allowing us to build solutions that are relevant for Indian consumers. Whether it is advanced manufacturing, nutritional research, or innovations like Fresh Food with Tetra Recart®, the objective has always been to bring world-class solutions to Indian pet parents rather than simply replicate products developed for other markets.
Another important lesson is that innovation is rarely just about launching new products. It is about solving real problems. Fresh Food is a good example. Instead of asking how to introduce another wet food, we asked how we could give Indian pet parents the reassurance of home-style feeding, the confidence of scientifically balanced nutrition, and the convenience of a shelf-stable product that could reach every corner of the country.
Finally, we’ve learned that categories are built through education as much as innovation. As awareness around pet nutrition continues to grow, our responsibility is not only to develop better products but also to help pet parents make more informed decisions about their pets’ health. That mindset continues to guide every step we take as we build for the future of pet nutrition in India.
Question- Drools has also expanded into fish feed. What was the vision behind entering the aquaculture segment?
The ornamental fish segment in India is evolving rapidly, with consumers becoming increasingly conscious about nutrition and product quality. We recognised the need for premium fish feed that delivers balanced nutrition, reliable quality, and value, making advanced nutrition more accessible to aquarium enthusiasts across the country.
Our formulations are made using quality ingredients enriched with essential proteins, vitamins, minerals, and natural colour-enhancing nutrients. We have also focused on high digestibility and water stability, helping reduce feed wastage and maintain better water quality—an important factor for aquarium hobbyists.
The launch of Finsters reflects our commitment to bringing world-class fish nutrition to Indian consumers while making premium-quality products accessible through our extensive distribution network.
Question- How do you see the aquarium market in India? How many SKUs have you launched?
The Indian aquarium industry is witnessing strong and sustained growth, driven by increasing pet ownership, urban lifestyles, and growing awareness about ornamental fish keeping. Today, hobbyists are looking for specialized nutrition rather than generic fish feed, creating a significant opportunity for innovation and premium products.
At Drools Finsters, our objective is to offer premium-quality ornamental fish feed at economical price points, making world-class nutrition accessible to every aquarium hobbyist in India.
We have launched 39 SKUs across multiple categories to cater to the diverse nutritional requirements of ornamental fish. Our portfolio includes:
- Tropical Fish Food for all ornamental tropical fishes
- Premium Fish Food for all ornamental fishes
- Species-specific feeds for Guppies, Widow Tetras, Arowana, Flower Horn, Red Parrot, Cichlids, Koi, Goldfish, Betta, and Tetras
- Multiple pack sizes to meet the needs of both beginners and experienced aquarium hobbyists.
Our formulations are designed to deliver balanced nutrition, healthy growth, vibrant colour enhancement, improved immunity, and high digestibility, while also helping maintain better water quality through reduced feed wastage.
As the Indian aquarium industry continues to grow, Drools Finsters remains committed to expanding its portfolio with innovative products and strengthening its distribution network, ensuring premium-quality ornamental fish nutrition reaches every corner of the country.