The Problem With Choosing Nutritious Pet Food in India
Pet parents today want more than just convenient food for their pets. They want meals made with good ingredients that support long-term health. However, many people still struggle to find pet food that is both healthy and easy to serve. They are often forced to choose between convenience and quality. At the same time, many pet parents do not have enough information about nutrition, making it difficult to make the right choices. This has created a growing need for brands that offer both healthy food and trusted guidance. Fresh For Paws was started to solve this problem. Behind the brand is founder Srishti Bhatia, but for her, it all started with someone very special at home.
Srishti Bhatia grew up in New Delhi, where she learned to be independent and open to new ideas. But the biggest influence in her life was her Labrador, Vanilla. She always wanted the best for her dog and spent hours learning about pet nutrition. She carefully read ingredient labels, spoke to experts, and tried to understand how food affects a pet's health. Over time, friends and family noticed how much she knew about pet nutrition. Many of them encouraged her to turn her knowledge into something bigger. As she looked at the market, she realized many pet parents were facing the same problem she had discovered.
Turning Passion Into a Company
At the age of 24, Srishti decided to start Fresh For Paws even though she had no business background. She was not trying to follow a trend. She simply wanted to solve a problem she deeply cared about. Starting the company meant learning everything from product development and operations to marketing, sales, and finance. Every day brought new lessons, and there was no clear guide to follow. Like many first-time founders, she experienced uncertainty and self-doubt. Still, her belief in the mission kept her moving forward, even when the journey felt difficult.
The biggest challenge during the initial months was building trust. Fresh pet food was still a new idea for many pet parents, and Srishti was only 24 years old with no previous business experience. She had to explain why fresh nutrition mattered while also managing production, deliveries, customer service, and daily operations. Every part of the business demanded her attention. There were many difficult moments, but each conversation with customers helped build confidence in the brand. Slowly, people started believing in the idea, and the first signs of success began to appear.
When Pets and Pet Parents Started Coming Back
The biggest encouragement came from the pets themselves. They enjoyed the meals, and their owners started sharing positive feedback. Many pet parents noticed better digestion, improved energy, healthier appetites, and overall well-being in their pets. Even more importantly, customers came back to place more orders and recommended Fresh For Paws to others. Those repeat customers showed that the company was solving a real problem. Behind Srishti throughout this journey was her father, who believed in her long before the business existed and encouraged her to trust her passion.
Over the last eight years, Fresh For Paws has grown into a trusted pet nutrition brand. The company has expanded its product range, built a loyal community of pet parents, and received several industry awards. These include the Pet Fed Award in 2018 and multiple honours at IIPTF, including the Trailblazer Award. For Srishti, these achievements are not just about recognition. They represent years of learning, listening to customers, and improving products based on real feedback. She believes many of the company's best ideas have come directly from its growing community of pet parents.
Looking Beyond India
Srishti wants Fresh For Paws to become a globally recognised pet nutrition brand. The company plans to expand across India and enter international markets while continuing to promote better pet nutrition. Her goal is not only to grow the business but also to help more pet parents understand the importance of healthy food. She also wants to show that an Indian brand can compete on the global stage through quality, innovation, and trust. For her, success means creating healthier lives for pets while making India proud around the world.
Looking back, Srishti believes that meaningful businesses often begin with personal experiences. She says she never had a business background, but she was willing to keep learning every day. She also believes that customers can become the best teachers because their feedback helps improve both products and ideas. Her advice to future founders is to stay true to the problem they want to solve and never stop learning. As she says,
Passion gives you a reason to start, but purpose gives you a reason to keep going.
For her, that purpose has always been helping pets live healthier and happier lives.