Beyond China: Could India Become the Next Pet Training Pad Manufacturing Hub?

For more than a decade, China has been the natural starting point for pet brands looking to manufacture training pads at scale. Its established supply chains, high-volume production facilities and export infrastructure have made it the dominant sourcing destination.

That position is not disappearing. However, the sourcing landscape is beginning to change.

As the global pet care market grows, brands are looking beyond cost alone. Supply-chain resilience, production flexibility, quality consistency and access to alternative manufacturing regions are becoming equally important. This is encouraging businesses to explore additional sourcing destinations—and India is increasingly entering that conversation.

Why pet brands are looking beyond a single manufacturing market

The shift is not unique to pet care. Similar diversification has already taken place across apparel, electronics, packaging and consumer goods.

Recent supply-chain disruptions have shown brands the risks of relying too heavily on one country or manufacturing partner. Shipping delays, rising freight costs, material shortages and geopolitical uncertainty can affect availability, margins and customer experience.

For pet care businesses, particularly growing D2C brands and private-label retailers, building a more diverse supplier network can help reduce these risks.

This does not necessarily mean replacing an existing Chinese supplier. For many businesses, it means adding a second manufacturing base that can support future growth, serve particular regions or provide more flexible product and packaging options.

Why India is gaining attention

India’s manufacturing sector has developed significantly in recent years, supported by investment in automation, expanding production capacity and growing experience in private-label manufacturing.

Several practical advantages are helping the country become a more relevant option for pet hygiene sourcing.

Expanding manufacturing capability

Indian manufacturers are investing in automated production and packaging lines capable of handling larger order volumes. This is particularly important in absorbent hygiene products, where consistent material distribution, sealing and folding directly affect product performance.

Access to growing export markets

India is geographically well positioned to supply the Middle East, South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. For brands selling in these markets, sourcing from India may offer logistical advantages and help create a more regionally balanced supply chain.

Easier business communication

English is widely used in Indian manufacturing and export operations. This can make product development, packaging approvals, documentation and day-to-day communication more straightforward for international buyers.

Private-label manufacturing experience

India already has a well-established contract-manufacturing ecosystem across pharmaceuticals, personal care, textiles and consumer products. That experience is now extending into pet hygiene categories, including training pads manufactured under a buyer’s brand, specifications and packaging requirements.

A growing market does not guarantee the right supplier

India’s increasing production capacity is promising, but buyers should not assume that every supplier offers the same level of capability.

There is also an important difference between dealing directly with a manufacturer and purchasing through a trader or sourcing intermediary. A genuine manufacturing partner should be able to explain how the product is made, how specifications are controlled and how consistency is maintained across production batches.

Before choosing a supplier, pet brands should look beyond the quoted price and ask detailed questions about product performance, materials and quality control.

What pet brands should evaluate before placing an order

1. Confirm the actual absorbency performance

Terms such as “highly absorbent” or “extra absorbent” are too vague for proper product evaluation.

Buyers should request measurable absorbency data, ideally in millilitres, along with the method used to test it. Samples should then be assessed under conditions that reflect the product’s intended use.

2. Review the absorbent-core specification

The performance of a pet training pad depends heavily on the balance of fluff pulp and superabsorbent polymer, commonly known as SAP.

A reliable supplier should be able to discuss available core configurations and explain how changes to the specification affect absorption speed, fluid retention, pad thickness and cost.

3. Check batch-to-batch consistency

A sample may perform well, but the same quality must be maintained across thousands—or millions—of pads.

Brands should ask how the manufacturer controls raw materials, pad weight, core distribution, dimensions, sealing and leakage performance during routine production.

4. Understand the customisation options

Private-label requirements extend beyond placing a logo on a pack.

Depending on the target customer and market, a brand may require different pad sizes, absorbency levels, printed or unprinted back sheets, pack quantities, barcodes, artwork or retail-ready packaging.

These requirements should be agreed upon and documented before bulk production begins.

5. Start with samples or a trial order

Where possible, brands should validate the product before making a large-volume commitment.

Samples and trial orders allow the buyer to assess absorbency, surface dryness, leakage resistance, packaging quality and customer response. They also provide an opportunity to evaluate how the supplier communicates and handles feedback.

6. Verify export readiness

Export capability involves more than manufacturing the product.

Buyers should confirm whether the supplier can support market-specific labelling, barcoding, packaging, shipping documentation and other destination requirements. The responsibilities of both parties should be clear from the beginning.

India’s production capacity is already developing

The shift towards India is not purely theoretical. Domestic facilities are already building the scale required to support large private-label and export programmes.

For example, Ghaziabad-based Clad Medical LLP states that it can manufacture up to 15 million pet training pads per month using automated production lines. The company offers OEM and private-label manufacturing, including customised sizes, absorbency configurations, packaging and market-specific labelling. Clad Medical’s product information also states that the facility is BIS-certified and supports bulk export orders.

Capabilities at this scale suggest that India is moving beyond small-volume production and developing infrastructure that can serve established distributors, retailers and growing pet care brands.

For prospective buyers, however, claims relating to capacity, certification and performance should always be confirmed through documentation, product testing and, where commercially practical, a factory assessment.

Diversification should be about resilience—not simply price

The lowest quotation does not always result in the lowest total cost.

Inconsistent absorbency, leaking pads, weak packaging or production delays can lead to returns, negative reviews and lost retail relationships. These costs can quickly outweigh a small saving in the original unit price.

Brands that manage international sourcing successfully tend to evaluate manufacturers as long-term product partners. They examine technical capability, quality-control systems, responsiveness and the ability to scale—not only price per pad.

Is India ready to become the next manufacturing hub?

China will remain an important part of the global pet training pad supply chain. Its capacity, technical experience and supplier network cannot be replaced overnight.

India’s opportunity lies in becoming a credible additional manufacturing base.

With expanding automated capacity, private-label experience and strategic access to growing regional markets, the country has the foundations to capture a larger share of the pet hygiene manufacturing industry.

Whether it becomes the next major hub will depend on how consistently Indian manufacturers deliver measurable product performance, reliable quality and export-ready service.

For pet brands, the question is therefore becoming less about whether India can manufacture pet training pads—and more about which Indian manufacturers can meet their particular product, quality and commercial requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.    Is India a major manufacturer of pet training pads?

India is not currently the world’s largest producer of pet training pads, but its manufacturing capacity is expanding. Automated facilities, OEM capabilities and growing export experience are making the country a more credible sourcing option for pet care brands.

2.    Why are pet brands considering manufacturers outside China?

Brands are diversifying to reduce dependence on a single sourcing market, improve supply-chain resilience and access manufacturers closer to emerging regional markets. Diversification may supplement an existing Chinese supplier rather than replace it completely.

3.    What should a brand check before choosing an Indian pet pad manufacturer?

Buyers should review measurable absorbency performance, SAP and fluff-pulp specifications, batch consistency, customisation options, quality-control procedures, packaging capabilities and export documentation. Samples or trial orders should be tested before committing to bulk production.

4.    Can Indian manufacturers provide private-label pet training pads?

Yes. Some Indian manufacturers offer OEM and private-label services covering customised specifications, branded packaging, pack sizes, artwork, barcodes and market-specific labelling. Exact capabilities and minimum order quantities vary by supplier.

5.    What determines the quality of a pet training pad?

Important factors include the nonwoven top sheet, absorbent-core composition, SAP distribution, absorption speed, fluid retention, surface dryness, leak-resistant backing, sealing quality and consistency across production batches.

6.    Should a pet brand choose a manufacturer based on price alone?

No. Unit price should be considered alongside product performance, consistency, lead time, packaging quality, communication and the supplier’s ability to scale. A cheaper product can become more expensive if it causes leakage, customer complaints or returns.