Home ／ Insights on entering the Indian market
2026.03.26
ヤクルトのインド進出は、日系食品企業のインド成功事例として特筆すべき存在である。2008年にデリーで販売を開始して以来、インドにはそもそも「プロバイオティクス飲料」という市場カテゴリーが存在しなかった中で、市場そのものを創造しながら事業を成長させてきた。2025年現在、インド全土約700都市で販売を展開し、インド法人の売上は約12.6億ルピー（₹126 crore、約21億円）に達している。
This article analyzes in detail how Yakult built a market from zero in India, its strategy and execution, and offers practical insights for Japanese food companies aiming to succeed in the Indian market.
In October 2005, Yakult Honsha established the joint venture "Yakult Danone India" with the French food giant Danone. This partnership choice was one of the most important decisions in Yakult's India strategy.
Danone was well versed in India's dairy market and had local operational know-how, while Yakult had probiotics R&D capabilities and global expertise cultivated through operations in more than 40 countries and regions. By combining each company's strengths, they were able to spread the risk of entering the uncharted Indian market while achieving effective market development.
Yakult Danone India built its own plant in Sonipat, near Delhi, and began manufacturing and sales in January 2008. The commitment to local production was aimed not only at reducing transportation costs but also at delivering "fresh products" to Indian consumers. Because probiotic beverages contain live lactic acid bacteria, cold chain management to maintain quality is extremely important, and local production was also an essential choice from a quality standpoint.
In addition, FSSAI (the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India)'s regulations were built into its manufacturing system, with a focus on earning consumer trust by meeting India's food safety standards.
The biggest challenge Yakult faced in India was that the very concept of "probiotics" was not recognized by Indian consumers. While this was already an established category in Japan and Europe, the idea that lactic acid bacteria are good for health was not common in India.
To address this challenge, Yakult adopted a strategy of "education-based marketing." Before selling the product, it focused on communicating to consumers why gut health matters and how probiotics contribute to health. This awareness campaign was carried out through a multi-pronged approach, including TV commercials, newspaper ads, seminars at schools and hospitals, and collaboration with medical professionals.
The most symbolic initiative in Yakult's India strategy is the introduction of the "Yakult Lady" system. A Yakult Lady is a local woman who visits nearby homes and workplaces to deliver Yakult products directly, a door-to-door sales system. This model has succeeded in Japan and countries around the world, and it also proved highly effective in India.
The significance of the Yakult Lady system in India goes beyond being merely a sales channel. First, because it allows for face-to-face explanation of the health benefits of probiotics, it functions as the front line of education-based marketing. In addition, the trust built through regular visits is an extremely important element in India's consumption culture.
Also worth noting is that the Yakult Lady system has contributed to the social advancement of women in India. In the decade-plus since sales began in 2008, many women, especially in the Delhi metropolitan area, have worked as Yakult Ladies, providing an opportunity to earn stable income. This social impact is also highly regarded as part of the company's CSR (corporate social responsibility).
Door-to-door delivery by Yakult Ladies is the foundation of Yakult's Indian business channel. In addition to securing a stable revenue base through subscriptions, it is also used to introduce new products and collect feedback through direct touchpoints with consumers.
In addition to delivery, Yakult is also actively expanding in-store sales at supermarkets, convenience stores, and kirana stores (traditional retail shops). India's retail structure remains dominated by kirana stores, which account for over 90%, so access to this traditional channel is key to business expansion.
Yakult has built a sales organization that serves both modern trade and kirana stores, expanding its distribution network to about 700 cities across India. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities It has also succeeded in penetrating rural areas, an achievement of the hybrid model combining Yakult Ladies and in-store sales.
Yakult initially entered the Indian market with its globally standard original product, but has since developed products tailored to the needs of Indian consumers. In response to rising health awareness, it launched "Yakult Light" (a low-calorie version) in 2018, and has also introduced new flavors, such as mango, tailored to Indian consumer preferences.
This product strategy embodies the textbook approach of localization"maintaining core quality while rolling out variations tailored to local preferences." Rather than creating an entirely different product, this approach expands choice through flavor and calorie content while protecting the quality of Yakult's core element, the Shirota strain (L. casei strain Shirota).
Yakult's pricing in India reflects the realities of the market. While keeping the price per bottle affordable, it has introduced mechanisms to encourage repeat purchases among consumers, such as promoting bulk buying with multi-bottle packs and discounts for subscriptions. The volume settings tailored to India's distinctive preference for "small quantity, low price" have also been an important factor in market penetration.
When Yakult entered the Indian market in 2008, there was barely a probiotics market to speak of. As of 2025, probiotic drinks alone have grown into a 2,070 crore market (about $242 million), double what it was five years ago. On the broader definition that includes supplements and functional foods, the probiotics market is forecast to expand from about $2.9 billion in 2024 to about $10.2 billion in 2033 (about 14.9% a year).
Behind this rapid growth are rising consumer health awareness, a sharp increase in interest in immunity after the COVID-19 pandemic, and FSSAI's official recognition of probiotics as a health supplement. Yakult, as a pioneer of this market, has been the driving force behind the market's growth itself.
After Yakult opened up the market, many players have entered India's probiotics market. India's major dairy companies Amul and Mother Dairy have launched probiotic yogurts, and startups such as The Good Bug and WellBeing Nutrition are also attracting investor attention. However, Yakult maintains its brand position as the "pioneer of probiotic beverages," and its first-mover advantage is clearly working in its favor.
Yakult Honsha has set a goal of eventually growing India into one of its top 10 global markets. It has set a target of achieving double-digit growth every year through 2030, and is strengthening its business around three pillars: expanding its sales area, enriching its product lineup, and further improving brand awareness.
Until now, Yakult's main customer base has been the upper-middle class in urban areas middle-class, but the company has laid out a policy to expand penetration into the broader mass market going forward. Measures currently underway to develop new segments include reviewing price points, introducing smaller-volume packs, and expanding the sales network into rural areas.
The greatest lesson Yakult offers is that in India, it is sometimes necessary to have the resolve not merely to enter an existing market but to create the market itself. The unique technologies and product concepts held by Japanese food companies (such as fermented foods, functional foods, and low-salt technology) are likely categories in which a market has not yet formed in India. But this is not the absence of opportunity; it is also a chance to capture first-mover advantage.
A face-to-face delivery model like the Yakult Lady is highly compatible with India's consumption culture. In India, face-to-face sales built on trust still carries strong influence, and digital marketing alone has its limits, especially when trying to establish a new category of product. Food companies should local talent consider the value of introducing a delivery and door-to-door sales model that makes use of local talent.
Indian consumers have a strong tendency to purchase only after understanding a product's "effect" and "reason." Just as Yakult conducted awareness campaigns about the health benefits of probiotics, Japanese food companies also need a communication strategy that carefully conveys the value of their products together with scientific evidence. This takes time, but once understanding takes root, it leads to strong brand loyalty.
Yakult did not compromise at all on the core of the product, the Shirota strain, while adapting to the Indian market through peripheral elements such as flavor and calorie content. This approach of "protecting the core quality while adapting at the periphery" is the optimal solution for maintaining the quality advantage of Japanese food while gaining acceptance in the Indian market.
Just as the Yakult Lady system has contributed to women's social advancement, social contribution through business activity is an important element in raising brand value in India. In India, CSR spending is legally mandated (at least 2% of net profit), so by designing business strategy and CSR in an integrated way, companies can create a virtuous cycle of social impact and business growth.
Yakult's success story in India is one of the most instructive precedents for Japanese food companies. It created a market that did not exist, penetrated all of India with the unique Yakult Lady sales model, and built a sales network across approximately 700 cities over 17 years. This success was not achieved overnight; it is the result of a long-term commitment, thorough local adaptation, and unwavering confidence in "Japanese quality."
For Japanese food companies considering entry into India, Yakult's trajectory continues to send a powerful message: "if you approach it the right way, with the right resolve, you can succeed in the Indian market."
Yakult began sales in India in the latter half of the 2000s and now operates in many cities across the country. What stands out is that it grew the business by creating the market itself, in a context where the category of probiotic beverages did not previously exist in India.
It launched the business through a joint venture with the French food giant Danone. Danone was well versed in India's dairy market and local operations, while Yakult had probiotics R&D capabilities and global expertise. It built its own plant near Delhi, producing and selling locally.
It is a door-to-door sales system in which local women visit nearby homes and workplaces to deliver products by hand. Because it allows for face-to-face explanation of probiotics' health benefits, it functions as the front line of education-based marketing. It also has social significance, providing income opportunities for many women.
Yakult adopted education-based marketing. Before selling the product, it focused on conveying why gut health matters and how probiotics contribute to it. In addition to advertising, it carried out awareness campaigns on multiple fronts, including seminars at schools and hospitals and collaboration with medical professionals.
It practiced the textbook localization approach of protecting the quality of its core bacterial strain while adapting at the periphery. It introduced a low-calorie version in response to rising health awareness and flavors tailored to Indian consumer preferences, kept prices affordable, and encouraged repeat purchases through measures such as multi-bottle packs.
First, keep in mind that fermented foods and functional foods, which are often categories Japanese companies specialize in, are frequently categories that have not yet formed a market in India, and that the resolve to create the market itself can lead to first-mover advantage. On that basis, consider face-to-face delivery and door-to-door sales using local talent, education-based marketing that conveys value together with scientific evidence, and a product strategy that protects core quality while adapting at the periphery. Designing business and CSR in an integrated way also contributes to raising brand value.
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