From ouch to opportunity: India chases instant relief as pain market swells to Rs 16,000 crore; 5 brands pop up every week
India’s pain relieving market is soaring to almost Rs 16,000 crore, as more and more people are rushing to use over-the-counter (OTC) pills, sprays and creams to soothe everyday aches and pains.According to Nielsen data cited by industry executives, in the past five years, the segment has grown by more than a billion dollars, becoming the largest category within the non-prescription space.Since the onset of the pandemic, around five new pain relief brands have been launched each week on average, as per an ET report. In 2020, there were 1,552 brands catering to pain relief, including household names such as Volini, Omnigel, Dolo and Saridon. That figure has now soared to 2,771.Consumers are prioritising quick relief, said Shivam Puri, managing director at Cipla Health, “Rise of urbanisation and increase in chronic illnesses have led to the need for faster, more convenient formats that are accessible across platforms,” Puri told ET.This rising demand comes despite continued warnings from healthcare professionals about the risks of indiscriminate painkiller use.
Explosive growth
The pain relief segment, particularly in urban markets, is largely driven by lifestyle factors such as gym injuries and sports-related strains. As a result, the combined market for analgesics and rubefacients has more than doubled, from Rs 6,820 crore in May 2020 to Rs 15,905 crore in May 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18%. This is three times faster than the broader OTC market, which has grown at 6% CAGR to reach Rs 80,000 crore.Analgesics account for 75% of the pain management medication category. Paracetamol remains the dominant contributor, as per data from PharmaTrac, cited by ET.Sandeep Verma, who heads Bayer Pharmaceuticals’ consumer health business for South Asia, noted a shift in perception since the Covid-19 outbreak. “A lot of Indians view taking pain relief medication as a sign of weakness or worry about becoming dependent on it. Covid made many of us more aware of how stress, exhaustion, and even mild but recurring pain can chip away at our wellbeing and productivity,” ET cited Verma.
From chronic pain to lifestyle ailments
Experts say that pain medications are being increasingly used to treat a wider range of issues, including inflammation and adjacent issues, leading to growing demand for pills.“The analgesic segment that is dominated by paracetamols has been growing at a steady rate of 10%. This is because paracetamol medications are taken alongside other conditions that could include arthritis, any other bacterial or viral infection,” Sheetal Sapale, vice president, commercial, at PharmaTrac was quoted by the financial daily.Nitin Kumar Sinha, consultant physician at WeCare Wellness in Mumbai, attributed the trend to rising lifestyle-related ailments. “Lack of physical exercise, increase in body weight leading to knee and joint pain, anxiety, depression are all causes of increase in body pain, headaches or migraine,” he told ET.He also warned that self-medication is on the rise which can have serious consequences if used over a prolonged period of time, such as damage to the kidneys.IPCA’s Zerodol SP, Janssen’s Ultracet, GSK’s Calpol, Micro Lab’s Dolo, Torrent’s Chymoral Forte and Cipla’s Ibugesic Plus, are one of the top selling drugs.Most of these are prescription medications.
Skin creams, allergies also see rise in OTC demand
Pain relief isn’t the only area where Indians are increasingly self-medicating. The demand for dermatological creams, traditionally prescribed by dermatologists, is also surging, particularly among Gen Z consumers.Bhanu Prakash, partner and healthcare services industry leader at Grant Thornton, said, “Over-the-counter as a segment has grown post-Covid because of more knowledge and information for categories including anti-allergic medications, skin creams, tear drops among others.”Derma products, which are used to treat issues related to the skin and scalp, are now the second-largest non-prescription category after pain, expanding at a CAGR of 8% over the last five years, to become a Rs 14,854 crore market.
