From curative to conscious: What caused India’s wellness awakening

The Global Wellness Institute and FICCI-EY (2025-26) define India’s wellness market as the industries that enable consumers to incorporate healthy activities and lifestyles into daily life. This wellness market is valued at approximately $72 billion to $78 billion in 2026. It is growing at 28% annual growth rate. While the global wellness economy is growing at about 7.6%, India’s growth is nearly four times faster. India is emerging as one of the fastest growing wellness markets globally, fuelled by a shift from curative to preventive care in our quest for better health.

Today, tech-savvy urban Indians monitor their health on a smartwatch, go for preventive health check-ups and regularly practise pranayama. What’s more, the health fixation is breaking the class barrier. A person in a tier-2 city has the same access to world-class yoga instructors and organic supplements as someone in a metro city thanks to the digital infrastructure.

According to a 2025 Boston Consulting Group report, while only 12% of people globally are consciously shaping their lives around "healthy aging," almost 50% of Indians are taking deliberate steps toward long-term longevity.

What’s driving this awakening towards the benefits of robust health and why are Indians more proactive than their global counterparts in certain wellness categories?

Here are some reasons why Indians have become more conscious about health and wellbeing.

The increasing burden of lifestyle diseases

Indians are aware that lifestyle diseases in India are on the rise. Non-communicable diseases account for 63-65% deaths in the country. The big three lifestyle killers are diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. India is considered the diabetes capital of the world. According to ICMR, India has 101 million people with diabetes. Traditional high-fibre diets have been taken over by ultra-processed foods leading to such lifestyle diseases. Add to this, a sedentary life, and high stress levels.

Staying healthy is a financial necessity

About 54.8% of healthcare spending in India is paid by Indians themselves from their own pockets, compared to just 11.3% in the US and 17.1% in the UK. This is a financial burden on the average Indian.

Greater awareness among the younger generation

Younger Indians are more tech-savvy and aware about preventive healthcare. According to the BCG report, India ranks as a global leader in health technology. 71% of Indians use tech-driven health interventions namely wearables, apps, etc., compared to a global average of 55%.

Workplaces promote wellness

Corporate India is positioning itself as the custodian of employee wellness with more than 300 major organisations having integrated physical and mental health programmes at work to tackle burnout. They view wellness as a productivity tool.

All these factors are motivating Indians to tackle health issues head on and rely on preventive care more than curative solutions. So just what are Indians indulging in?

Indians’ preventive tool kit

They are rushing to take dietary supplements. The Indian dietary supplement market is growing at 10.8% and is valued at approximately $10.2 billion. If we consider the broader nutraceutical market, which includes supplements and functional foods like probiotics, the size is much larger, ranging from $18 billion to $30 billion in 2026. This market is expanding at a growth rate of 11% to 16% surpassing the global average of approximately 7-9%.

Meanwhile, medical experts share a balanced view on the importance of supplements. Dr Sudhir Kumar of Apollo Hospitals, speaking to The Economic Times, shared, “Good health is not achieved through quick fixes or reliance on supplements alone, but shaped through consistent daily habits. Preventive healthcare is often dismissed as unnecessary spending, yet delayed detection of disease ultimately leads to more complex, costly and damaging outcomes."

Indians are also making lifestyle changes like switching to organic produce. India has the highest number of organic farmers in the world at over 4.4 million. The domestic organic farming market is growing at 11% annually.

Ayurveda is making a comeback with a push from technology. Technology like AI is being used to validate ancient herbs, predict diseases and help with tailored treatment plans. This is helping Indians take a holistic approach to healthcare. Government initiatives to promote Ayurveda have only reinforced the role of traditional healing. Traditional brands have shed their old fashioned image to become digital-first wellness brands to become relevant in the new age.

India’s health obsession is a survival mechanism to combat the looming threats of lifestyle diseases and productivity loss. But within this crisis there is an opportunity for a digital health revolution leading to not just a longer but a better life for Indians.