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Drools | India's first pet food unicorn, backed by an investment from Nestle

2026.03.26

Article summary

Drools is an Indian pet food maker whose brand launched in 2010 (the operating entity is registered in Chhattisgarh). Its founder is Fahim Sultan, and it began as a business of IB Group, a poultry and agriculture company. Revenue for FY2025 (fiscal year ended March 2025) was ₹932.3 crore (1 crore = 10 million rupees), up 28.7% year on year. In May 2025 Nestle S.A. invested as a minority shareholder, and at a post-money valuation of 1 billion dollars it became India's first pet food unicorn. It sells through more than 40,000 stores at home and exports to 22 countries.

This article is based on what we could verify As of September 19, 2026 This page is based on the disclosures and news reports from each company that we were able to confirm as of that date. Amounts in the text follow the notation commonly used in India, with ₹1 crore = 10 million rupees, and yen figures are approximations calculated at a little over 1.7 yen to the rupee. Store counts, funding raised, and results at Indian companies change over short periods, so when making a business decision, please check the latest information in primary sources such as each company's own announcements.

Drools is an Indian pet food brand making food for dogs and cats. It began in 2010 as a business of IB Group (Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh), a poultry and agriculture company. In May 2025 Nestle S.A. invested as a minority shareholder, and reaching a valuation of 1 billion dollars made it the first unicorn in Indian pet food.

Company profile

Item	Details
Legal name	Drools Pet Food Private Limited
Brand launched	2010 (the operating entity, Drools Pet Food Private Limited, was registered in 2018 in Chhattisgarh)
Headquarters	Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh (business base in Bengaluru)
Founder and parent company	Fahim Sultan. It began as a business of IB Group, which works in poultry and agriculture
Revenue	₹932.3 crore (FY2025 = fiscal year ended March 2025, up 28.7% from ₹724.6 crore the previous year)
Valuation	About 1 billion dollars (May 2025, post-money after the investment by Nestle S.A.)
Sales channel	More than 40,000 retail stores within India, with exports to 22 countries
Listing	Unlisted
Official website	drools.com

Business and strengths

It handles dry food, wet food, and treats for dogs and cats. Pet food in India was long dominated by imports, but Drools holds manufacturing in the country and went after the market on price and distribution.

In June 2023 it raised 60 million dollars from L Catterton. On the May 2025 investment by Nestle, the company explains that it is a financial investment and that it will continue to be run independently.

Recent developments

Revenue for FY2025 (fiscal year ended March 2025) was ₹932.3 crore, up 28.7% year on year. The investment by Nestle made it India's fourth unicorn of 2025. Its sales network reaches more than 40,000 retail stores within India, and it exports to 22 countries.

Points for Japanese companies

Pet food is one of the few food categories in India that is growing, with rising household incomes and a rising number of animals kept overlapping. For a Japanese pet food maker going in, the investment required differs greatly depending on whether it takes the premium tier as an import or manufactures locally and stands on the same ground as Drools.