For Prateek Raj Singh, GroomEssence did not start with a simple question about what could sell in the pet-care market. It started with a more personal one: would he be comfortable using the product on his own pets?
That thinking has become central to the grooming brand, which has been developed by GNV Commodities as part of its wider presence in the pet-care industry.
The philosophy is summed up by GroomEssence in a line that says a lot about how the brand approached its early product development:
“We didn’t launch Groom Essence when it was ready to sell. We launched it when it was ready for our own pets.”
It is a simple idea, but an important one in a category where products come into direct contact with an animal’s skin, coat and face.
For Singh and the team behind GroomEssence, getting a product right came before putting it in the market.
Taking time to get the products right
GroomEssence describes its journey as one involving setbacks, refinement and a willingness to keep working on products before launching them.
That approach is particularly relevant to pet grooming. A product that looks straightforward on a shelf still needs to work for animals with different coat types, skin sensitivities, lifestyles and grooming requirements.
The brand’s approach has therefore been closely tied to the experience of pet parents themselves. The team wanted to develop products that they would be comfortable having in their own homes and using on their own animals.
That also fits with the wider approach of GNV Commodities, which has built its pet-care business around products for everyday pet needs across nutrition, grooming and wellness.
For GroomEssence, that experience has helped shape a range that goes beyond a single grooming product.
More than just a shampoo
Grooming at home is becoming a regular part of pet care for many owners. It can include everything from bathing and coat maintenance to cleaning, fragrance and keeping pets comfortable between professional grooming sessions.
GroomEssence has developed products around several of these everyday needs.
Its range currently includes an all-in-one shampoo, conditioner and face wash for dogs and cats, pet colognes in different fragrances, and massage oil. The products are manufactured in India and are available through pet-retail channels, including specialist online stores.
The range reflects the brand’s attempt to look at grooming as a routine rather than limiting it to bath time.
That is also where the founder’s original approach becomes relevant. Instead of asking only whether there was demand for another grooming product, the focus was on whether the product was something the team itself would want to use.
Building trust in a category that involves everyday care
Pet parents are increasingly paying attention to what they use on their animals. Ingredients, suitability, convenience and the specific needs of a pet can all influence a grooming purchase.
Trust, therefore, matters.
GroomEssence’s “ready for our own pets” philosophy gives the brand a straightforward way of communicating that trust without relying on exaggerated claims.
After all, pet owners are making these decisions for animals that cannot choose a product for themselves.
For Singh, that makes the responsibility behind a grooming product different from simply putting another consumer product on a shelf.
Backed by experience in the pet-care business
GroomEssence is also being built within the larger GNV Commodities business.
GNV Commodities describes itself as a pan-India distributor of pet products, with experience across areas including nutrition, grooming and wellness. That gives GroomEssence a business environment where the team is already familiar with retailers, groomers and the day-to-day requirements of the pet-care market.
The GroomEssence trademark was filed under GNV Commodities in 2025, further establishing the connection between the brand and the wider company.
For a new grooming brand, that background can be useful. Understanding the market is one part of building a product; understanding how pet parents, retailers and professional groomers actually use and recommend those products is another.
Where GroomEssence goes from here
The Indian pet-care market is becoming more diverse, with owners looking beyond food and basic supplies towards grooming, wellness and other areas of everyday care.
That gives grooming brands more opportunities, but it also means there is more competition for attention.
For GroomEssence, the next step will be to build on the idea that shaped its beginning: develop products that meet the team’s own standards before asking other pet parents to use them.
That philosophy is perhaps best expressed in the brand’s own words. The decision to wait until a product was ready for their own pets says more about the company’s approach than another generic claim about innovation ever could.
For Prateek Raj Singh, that may ultimately become one of GroomEssence’s strongest differentiators — not simply what the brand makes, but the standard it sets for itself before putting those products into the hands of other pet parents.
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