Cargill targets urban pet parents, launches health digital platform Zoonivet

HYDERABAD: Cargill announced its entry into the pet care sector through a digital initiative, Zoonivet, a pet-care app. Zoonivet, which was debuted last October, is a Telehealth platform that connects pet parents with qualified veterinarians remotely through video call for their pet's primary healthcare requirements.

The app was designed to bring convenient and accessible veterinary care to pets through e-consultation available to pet owners across the country.

Since inception, Zoonivet has completed 8 00+ video consultations pan-India and is celebrating the milestone of crossing 100,000 downloads on Playstore. This year, taking their commitment to pet care a step forward, Zoonivet has introduced home vaccination services on the app.

The service, which has been piloted in Bangalore, has already completed 400+ vaccinations, and the home vaccination service would be extended to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow by end of this year. The pet-healthcare brand has also launched surgery and home diagnostic services for pets in Bangalore, and in future, plans to scale the platform to offer these, and additional services such as medication, pet food and pet boarding in all key markets pan India.

Simon George, president, Cargill India, said, “At Cargill, we are committed to improving the lives of consumers by bringing innovative and customized technology interventions to the forefront. Last year, we announced the launch of Digital Saathi, a mobile-first, AI based local online service platform to support farmers. This year, with Zoonivet, we are signaling further investment in the space of digital pet healthcare.”

Sharing his insights around the pet-care industry, Ruchir Vatsal, founder, Zoonivet, said, “India is one of the world’s fastest growing pet-care markets in the world. We currently have a population of over 22 million dogs and 5 million cats in the country, and an annual growth rate of 17%. With Zoonivet, we’re bringing pet-care to consumers’ doorstep and solving everyday problems like commuting in busy metros, taking time off work, scheduling appointments with a vet. As we expand further, we will continue adding tech-led interventions to enhance the consumer experience on the app, while ensuring fur babies get quality services, at the click of a button.”

To celebrate the achievement of 100,000 downloads, Zoonivet recently organized Zoonithon (a pet marathon) for large breed dogs, small breed dogs and cats in Bangalore. In addition to the marathon, the event had a pet adoption drive conducted, and veterinarians were available to provide free consultations.