Indian pet funeral industry rises: Ashes scattered in the Ganges into emerging services
In recent years, with the expansion of India's middle class and the popularization of pet culture, the pet funeral industry has gradually become an emerging market hotspot in the country. Especially in the past 10 days, social media and news platforms have frequently reported on the ceremony of Indian pet owners choosing to scatter pet ashes into the Ganges. This service has quickly become popular and has become a new trend in the pet funeral industry. The following is a detailed analysis of this phenomenon.
1. Market background of Indian pet funeral industry
The size of the Indian pet market has grown rapidly in recent years. According to statistics, the scale of India's pet industry has exceeded US$1.5 billion in 2023, of which pet funeral services account for about 5%, but they are still in their early stages. As pet owners attach importance to the funeral after their pets, demand for professional funeral services has surged.
| years | Pet industry size (US$ 100 million) | Pet funeral services proportion |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 10 | 3% |
| 2021 | 12 | 4% |
| 2022 | 14 | 4.5% |
| 2023 | 15 | 5% |
2. Why did the scattering ceremony of Ganges become popular?
The Ganges is regarded as a holy river in Hindu culture, and believers believe that rituals here can purify the soul. In recent years, pet owners have also begun to emulate the tradition of human funerals and hold similar ceremonies for pets. This service usually includes the following procedures:
| Services | Price (Rs) | Service content |
|---|---|---|
| Basic cremation | 3000-5000 | Pet body cremated |
| Ganges ritual | 8000-15000 | Spread ashes, priests pray for blessings |
| Memorial package | 20000+ | Customized urns, commemorative videos |
3. Social media drives the craze
In the past 10 days, discussions on pet Ganges rituals have surged on Indian social media. The keyword "Pet Ganges Funeral" has seen more than 200% search volumes on Twitter and Instagram. Many pet owners share ritual videos, which resonated widely.
| platform | Number of related topics (last 10 days) | growth rate |
|---|---|---|
| 12,000+ | 220% | |
| 8,500+ | 180% | |
| 6,200+ | 150% |
4. Controversy and Challenge
Although this service is popular with pet owners, it has also caused some controversy. Environmentalists pointed out that scattering of large amounts of ashes into the Ganges may aggravate water pollution. In addition, some traditional religious figures believe that pets should not enjoy the same ritual treatment as humans.
5. Future Outlook
Experts predict that India's pet funeral industry will maintain an average annual growth rate of 20% in the next five years. The Ganges ceremony is just the beginning, and more personalized services, such as pet cemeteries, digital commemorative platforms, are expected to further promote market development.
Overall, the rise of the pet funeral industry in India reflects the society’s recognition of the emotional value of pets, and the Ganges ritual has become a cultural symbol of this trend. Despite the controversy, its market potential cannot be ignored.
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