The Indian market for baby diapers is estimated at around Rs 800 crore per year. About 24 million babies are born in the country each year, according to the United Nations. Approximately 25% of babies use at least 28 diapers per week between birth and 24 months. The diaper market will reach 8.7 billion units a year. The diaper market is expected to grow at around 5-10% in the next few years.

Several companies have established various brands in the diaper segment of the baby care products industry in India. However, most Indians seem to prefer cloth diapers compared to disposable baby diapers. Companies are finding it hard to change this mindset. Diaper brands have adapted their products with advertising, increased awareness and slashed prices to suit the Indian market. After all, given that India has the largest infant population, the country has huge potential in the diaper market. In addition, household disposable income is also on the rise.

organic and natural baby diapers
organic and natural baby diapers

The market for baby diapers in India is dominated by three brands. The first is Huggies, which is the most popular, most trusted, and has the largest market share in the baby diaper market. Huggies is a brand owned by Kimberly Clark Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Kimberly Clark Pte Ltd of the United States and Hindustan Lever Pte Ltd of India. The company has launched a product called "Diaper Mat" that costs much less than diapers and can be compared to cloth diapers. The brand Huggies is a common name in the baby diaper space, due to the company's heavy investment in advertising and promotion.

Pampers happens to be the next most popular brand in the baby diaper market. Introduced by Procter & Gamble, Pampers diapers are committed to providing consumers with value for money by offering the latest diapers at a great price. Godrej's brand Snuggle is the third-largest player in the market for baby diapers in India. The diapers sold under the brand were imported from a Chinese manufacturer. Considering the huge capital investment, one of the reasons why India has no manufacturing plants is the lack of technology. It's hard to invest that kind of money to build this division until the market picks up. In addition, most of the raw materials used to make baby diapers are imported.

Other companies have also entered the Indian market, showing huge market potential such as Deyo, Wipro, People, and Gratt, while Deyo offers premium open diapers, wet wipes, pant type diapers, and several other options.