Kantar's new report highlights the growing importance of personalised & functional wellness solutions

A new report by data and analytics firm Kantar has revealed significant shifts in India’s health and wellness landscape, based on Google search patterns in 2024. The study analysed 15 categories, ranging from nutrition and fitness to mental health and alternative medicine, identifying emerging trends in consumer priorities.

According to the report, interest in nutrients and supplements is growing, with 2.7 million searches for Vitamin B12 and a 54% year-on-year rise in queries about Vitamin B12-rich foods. Skin health searches for ‘sensitive skin’ increased by 30%, while low-intensity physical fitness options such as walking saw more than 120000 related searches.

Medical-grade weight management tools are entering the mainstream, with steep rises in searches for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, up by 216% and Zepbound, which went up by +943%. Interest in cognitive health is also increasing, with searches for cortisol growing 59% in a year.

In women’s health, searches related to mood changes during menstrual phases saw triple-digit growth, while gut health concerns such as bloating (58,000 searches) and acidity (47,000) also drew attention. Alternative medicine saw a rise in interest for homeopathy, with ‘homeo shop near me’ (+32%), ‘homeopathy near me’ and ‘homeo medical shop’ up by 48%.

Sleep-related searches, particularly for melatonin products, reached 4.5 million rose by +27%. Queries for sugar-free options increased by 14% to 7.4 million.

From these patterns, Kantar identified five key shifts shaping the health and wellness market:

Function-first wellness: Outcome-driven health choices are on the rise, reflected in 26.6 million searches (+39%) across skincare, weight management, and workouts. Collagen for skin health, melatonin for sleep, and pre-workout supplements for energy featured prominently.

Science-framed self-care: A 13% growth to 14.6 million searches for clinically backed solutions, including GLP-1 weight loss drugs, cognitive supplements and hormonal tracking tools, shows a move toward evidence-based self-care.

Inner health as outer power: 14.5 million searches (+15%) linked nutrition, gut health and immunity with beauty, mood and longevity, with growing interest in biotin, collagen and multivitamins.

Daily systems and cycle care: 9.9 million searches (+9%) indicated more routine-based wellness habits, from hydration tracking to menstrual cycle awareness, signalling greater active participation in health management.

Natural systems with modern lenses: 8.7 million searches (+17%) for traditional practices like Ayurveda, homeopathy and acupuncture, showing a blending of natural remedies with modern scientific framing.

Soumya Mohanty, MD & Chief Client Officer, South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar, said, "The health and wellness landscape in India is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Our report highlights the growing importance of personalized and functional wellness solutions. Brands that can effectively address these evolving consumer needs will be well-positioned to lead in this dynamic market. By leveraging these trends and consumer preferences, brands can create targeted and effective marketing strategies to engage with their audience and drive growth."