By 2030, what will truly differentiate winning OTC players in India from the rest?
By 2030, the biggest differentiator for winning OTC players in India will be their mindset to discover and solve end consumer health problems, like a true consumer health company, not traditional pharma organizations where the business model is designed around HCP. The shift will be from “selling medicines” to “building everyday health brands.” Winners will understand that OTC success is driven less by molecules and more by mindset, experience, trust, and accessibility.
First, consumer insight will become the primary competitive advantage. Companies that deeply understand Indian consumers’ health anxieties, cultural beliefs, language diversity, and purchasing triggers will build stronger emotional connect. Brands will be designed around outcomes such as relief, prevention, energy, immunity, and wellness—not just clinical indications. This means simplifying communication, using relatable storytelling, and meeting consumers where they already spend time: digital platforms, quick commerce, and social communities.
Second, near omnichannel excellence will be important. Winning players will seamlessly integrate pharmacies, e-commerce, quick commerce, and DTC platforms into a single ecosystem. The focus will shift from distribution reach to experience consistency. Speed of availability, discoverability, education, and post-purchase engagement will matter as much as pricing.
Third, portfolio design will become sharper. Instead of broad, undifferentiated line extensions, winners will invest in a few scalable “hero brands” that can travel across formats, claims, and life stages. Innovation will focus on formats (gummies, sachets, sprays), convenience, and preventive care.
Finally, trust will be the ultimate currency. Brands that successfully combine medical credibility with consumer friendliness will dominate. By 2030, the winners will be those who stop competing as pharma companies entering OTC and start behaving like consumer brands with pharmaceutical integrity.
What’s the biggest misconception pharma leaders still have about moving from Rx to OTC?
The biggest misconception is that Rx-to-OTC is simply a channel shift rather than a complete business model shift. Many pharma leaders still believe that an OTC brand can be built by changing packaging, relaxing promotional language, and increasing media spend. In reality, OTC is not a diluted version of Rx—it is a different playbook.
In Rx, influence is driven by doctors and institutions. In OTC, the consumer is the decision-maker. This requires a shift from scientific persuasion to emotional relevance, from compliance-driven marketing to experience-driven branding. OTC brands must compete with FMCG players, wellness startups, and digital-native brands, not just other pharma companies.
Another misconception is that medical credibility alone guarantees consumer trust for repurchase. While clinical heritage is a strong advantage, it does not automatically translate into brand preference the second time around. Consumers today expect simplicity, transparency, relatability, and immediate value. If a brand cannot clearly explain why it matters in everyday life, its scientific strength becomes invisible.
Many leaders also underestimate the speed of consumer feedback and advocacy loops. In OTC, brand perception is shaped instantly through reviews, social media, influencer opinions, and peer recommendations. This is very different from the slow, relationship-driven Rx environment.
Finally, pharma leaders often assume that existing organizational structures can support OTC growth. In reality, OTC requires faster decision-making, test-and-learn culture, digital capabilities, and consumer marketing talent. The biggest misconception is believing that OTC success is an extension of Rx excellence, when it actually demands a new operating DNA altogether.
The report highlights Rx-to-OTC as a major growth lever. What internal mindset shift is hardest for Rx-led companies when building consumer brands?
The hardest mindset shift for Rx-led companies is accepting that control over the brand no longer sits primarily with doctors or internal teams, but with the consumer. In Rx, brands are shaped through structured engagement, scientific detailing, and predictable influence channels. In OTC, brands are shaped in the open—through social media, peer recommendations, reviews, and moment-of-need decisions.
This requires moving from a “product-first” mindset to a “consumer-first” mindset (not a patient mindset). Instead of asking, “What is the molecule and its clinical benefit?”, companies must ask, “What problem is the consumer trying to solve right now, and how do they emotionally frame that problem?” The language of science must translate into the language of daily life. In P&L terms, pharma companies are used to attractive Gross margin percentages whereas in OTC they have to start looking at absolute margins as the investment model is spread across a larger consumer pool
Another difficult shift is speed. Rx organizations are built for compliance and precision, not rapid experimentation. OTC success demands fast iteration, testing formats, claims, creatives, and channels with agility. Failure is part of learning, which is culturally uncomfortable for many pharma teams.
Finally, Rx organizations are hierarchical and process-heavy, while OTC requires cross-functional collaboration between marketing, digital, supply chain, and consumer insights. The biggest shift is psychological: from certainty to curiosity, from control to responsiveness, and from prescription-led influence to consumer-driven trust.
Beyond price, what’s the biggest barrier stopping Indians from embracing self-care fully?
The biggest barrier is not affordability—it is confidence. Many Indian consumers still lack the confidence to make independent health decisions. Healthcare has historically been doctor-led, and self-care is a relatively new cultural behavior. For many, taking responsibility for minor health issues feels risky rather than empowering.
There is also confusion. The OTC shelf is cluttered with similar claims, medical jargon, and limited guidance. Without simple, trustworthy education, consumers hesitate. They are unsure about dosage, suitability, and safety, especially for children, elderly, or chronic conditions.
Another major barrier is inconsistent trust in brands. While pharma companies have credibility, that trust is not always translated into simple consumer reassurance. If packaging, communication, or digital presence feels complicated or intimidating, consumers retreat.
Finally, self-care requires habit formation. Indians are still transitioning from “treat when sick” to “prevent and manage daily.” This shift needs repeated nudges, simple routines, and accessible formats.
The real unlock for self-care adoption will be brands that make consumers feel informed, safe, and confident—transforming self-care from a medical decision into a normal, everyday wellness behavior.
What surprised you most about Indian consumer behavior in this study?
What stood out most was how emotionally driven OTC decisions have become, even in a category traditionally associated with rational, medical choices. Consumers are no longer just looking for symptom relief; they are looking for reassurance, speed, and simplicity.
Another surprise was the willingness to try new formats and channels. Whether it is quick commerce, online health platforms, or influencer-led discovery, Indian consumers are far more experimental than previously assumed. Trust is being built faster through digital validation than through legacy reputation alone.
We were also struck by how preventive and wellness-oriented the mindset is becoming, especially among younger urban consumers. Categories like immunity, digestion, sleep, and stress management are no longer secondary—they are becoming core.
Finally, the gap between awareness and action was telling. Consumers know about self-care, but they need guidance to act. Brands that educate without intimidating and simplify without diluting credibility will shape the future OTC winners.
Where are OTC brands going wrong in their digital or e-commerce strategies today?
Digital and eCommerce are becoming increasingly important growth engines for OTC brands. While categories such as nutritional wellness and derma-led skincare have moved faster, the broader OTC segment is now entering a phase where the opportunity lies less in channel presence and more in rethinking how brands show up in digital consumer journeys.
What we are seeing across markets is not a capability gap, but an evolution gap—where legacy strengths need to be reinterpreted for a digital-first consumer.
Defining the brand’s role in a consumer-led digital journey-
Traditionally, OTC brands operated in an ecosystem where doctors and chemists played a central role in education and reassurance. Digital environments shift this responsibility closer to the brand. Consumers increasingly expect brands to explain problems, guide usage, and build confidence directly. Leading players are using digital to translate their scientific and medical credibility into simple, consumer-friendly education that works at the point of decision.
Clarifying the role of each online channel-
Marketplaces, quick commerce platforms, and DTC sites each influence consumers differently—some drive discovery, others urgency or repeat. Progressive OTC brands are beginning to design portfolios, packs, and pricing with these roles in mind rather than treating all online channels as interchangeable. This clarity allows digital to complement, rather than cannibalise, offline strengths.
Using digital to simplify consumer decision-making-
One of digital’s biggest advantages is the ability to reduce consumer confusion. Consumers want to quickly understand relevance, safety, and usage. Brands that invest in content, claims articulation, usage cues, and social proof are finding that digital can become a powerful trust-building channel, not just a transactional one.
Recognizing digital channels as a media channel and not just distribution-
Search, product pages, reviews, and FAQs increasingly shape brand perception. Many OTC players are now treating these touchpoints as high-impact media assets—using data and insights to create preference, reinforce credibility, and influence choice well before price becomes the deciding factor.
Building long-term digital capabilities alongside short-term performance-
While sales, ROAS, and conversion remain essential metrics, the next phase of growth is being driven by stronger net revenue management capabilities. Brands that are investing in data, analytics, AI-led pricing, and channel-specific operating models are better positioned to unlock sustainable growth across portfolio, pricing, and promotion levers.
Viewing digital as a margin and growth lever-
Digital channels offer the potential for higher effective margins compared to general trade, provided portfolios are thoughtfully designed. Online-exclusive packs, premium propositions, and niche extensions are creating room for smarter reinvestment into marketing and demand generation—strengthening overall profitability.
With quick commerce accelerating impulse health purchases, how should OTC companies rethink product formats, pack sizes, or claims?
The rapid rise of quick commerce is offering valuable insight into how OTC consumption is evolving. With delivery windows shrinking to minutes, purchases are increasingly driven by immediate need states rather than planned replenishment.
Designing for immediacy and convenience-
Formats that deliver quick, noticeable relief with minimal effort—such as effervescent, powders, sachets, sprays, and topical applications—are well aligned with impulse health needs. These formats fit naturally into quick commerce journeys where speed and simplicity matter most.
Reimagining pack sizes for trial and accessibility-
Smaller, short-duration packs are emerging as effective entry points, lowering barriers to trial and enabling brands to attract new users. These packs can coexist with larger formats sold through other channels, creating a connected portfolio strategy.
Shifting claims toward real-life relevance-
Within regulatory frameworks, successful communication focuses on situational relevance and time-to-benefit—how a product fits into everyday moments such as post-meal discomfort, late nights, or sudden fatigue. This mirrors how consumers think and search in quick commerce environments.
Organizing portfolios around need states-
Quick commerce reinforces a simple insight: consumers shop by moments, not medical categories. Structuring portfolios around need states—sleep, digestion, stress, energy—makes brands easier to discover and more intuitive to choose.
Concluding, Brands that adapt their strengths to these new consumer contexts are well placed to shape the next chapter of OTC growth.
Which emerging OTC category do you think is most undervalued right now—and why?
Rather than one single category, the most undervalued opportunity in Indian OTC lies in condition-led wellness platforms spanning gut health, weight management, sleep, geriatric care, oral health, and niche chronic-support segments such as non-insulin diabetic care, thyroid support, liver health, and blood health. These are high-frequency, everyday health needs that remain fragmented and under-branded. Particularly for women in India, the opportunity is larger as India is going through a phase of higher financial empowerment of women resulting in greater health accountability in the family.
Women’s health spans from PMS management, menstrual comfort, PCOS support, iron deficiency, and hormonal balance, but it lacks credible, science-backed OTC brands. Similarly, weight management remains largely under-served by responsible, clinically positioned OTC solutions that focus on metabolic health and lifestyle support rather than quick fixes.
If a clear OTC regulatory framework comes soon, what immediate change would it unlock for the industry?
A clear regulatory framework would immediately unlock confidence and investment among companies. Today, uncertainty around claims, communication, and classification makes companies conservative. With clarity, brands can innovate faster, invest more boldly, and communicate more transparently.
It would accelerate product innovation. Companies would feel more comfortable launching differentiated formats, wellness hybrids, and preventive health solutions without fear of regulatory ambiguity.
It would also professionalize the category. Clear guidelines would separate credible OTC brands from loosely positioned wellness products, improving consumer trust.
Most importantly, it would invite new capital and partnerships. Global OTC players, consumer health investors, and digital health platforms would view India as a structured, scalable market.