India cheese market

India consumed more than 160,000 tonnes of formally manufactured cheese in 2025, according to Zenith, or less than half a kilo per person, the lowest per capita level in the database.

India is the fastest-growing cheese market in the database. Consumption grew by around 9% a year between 2020 and 2025, and Zenith expects growth of close to 8% a year to 2030, taking the market past 230,000 tonnes.

Packaged paneer and processed cheese lead the formal market, supplied almost entirely by domestic dairies. Imports are minimal, and India exports a small share of its output. Pizza chains and quick-service restaurants are driving demand for mozzarella and cheese blends.

The Zenith Global Cheese Database 2026 covers India with production, imports, exports and consumption for 39 cheese types, actuals from 2020 to 2025 and forecasts to 2030. Volume data covers totals, broad categories and separately measured cheese types, in tonnes. Consumer retail value covers total cheese only, in local currency and USD; import and export trade values cover HS 0406 total only, in USD. Monetary values are not broken down by individual cheese type or broad category. Retail shelf prices cover total cheese and five broad categories: hard and semi-hard, fresh, mould, processed, and other non-specified cheese, in local currency/kg and USD/kg, not individual prices for all 39 cheese types. Import and export unit prices cover HS 0406 total and available HS subheadings, in USD/kg. Retail value is estimated retail volume multiplied by regular shelf prices, including sales tax. Trade values are customs values, using CIF for imports and FOB for exports. Production is measured as formally manufactured cheese.