In a first, India firms up veterinary clinic standards to ensure quality care, wider access, adequate staffing

The development is significant for India’s veterinary clinics and hospitals market, valued at $2.1 billion, according to Ken Research, a market intelligence and consulting firm.

“The guidelines will help set minimum infrastructure and service benchmarks for veterinary hospitals and dispensaries across states, reducing regional disparities. The benchmarks act as a planning and funding guide for states while upgrading and building veterinary infrastructure," one of the officials said, requesting anonymity. “Defining essential services and facilities ensures timely and quality animal healthcare at the grassroots level."

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) introduced the comprehensive national guidelines to modernize medical care for pet animals and livestock and ensure consistent service across the country, clearing disparities in access to quality veterinary care, especially in remote regions.

The DAHD set up a committee to advise on formulating minimum benchmarks for veterinary hospitals and dispensaries and providing actionable tools to strengthen facilities, define essential services and enhance overall livestock health. The committee’s recommendations, submitted on 19 November, have been accepted by the government as the framework for harmonizing veterinary infrastructure nationwide.

The standards mandate specific physical requirements to ensure quality service, including animal examination areas with cattle crushes (stalls or cages for holding livestock), minor surgery units, and medicine-dispensing rooms for primary centres.

The new framework introduces a structured four-tier institutional system. At the base level, primary veterinary care centres (PVCCs) will serve clusters of gram panchayats, with one PVCC for every 5,000 cattle units focusing on vaccinations, common ailments and minor surgeries. These will be supported by block veterinary hospitals at the tehsil level, which will handle moderate-to-complex cases and provide diagnostic services.

Super speciality hospitals

The third tier of district veterinary hospitals will serve as regional hubs for emergency care and advanced diagnostics. At the apex level, state veterinary polyclinics and super speciality hospitals will offer specialized services such as virology, digital imaging, and dental care. The higher tiers will have dedicated operation theatres, biochemical labs, biosafety level labs and post-mortem facilities.

India has 30,184 government-run veterinary dispensaries, 24,532 aid centres and 13,173 hospitals. In addition, there are about 10,000 private veterinary clinics, according to the state-run Veterinary Council of India (VCI). The large veterinary clinics and hospital chains include Max Vets, Cessna Lifeline, Crown Veterinary Services, Dr. Paws and Urban Vet.

The pet population in India is 35 million, according to Invest India and the DAHD. According to the 20th Livestock Census (2019), the country has 535.78 million livestock animals including 192.49 million cattle, 148.88 million goats, 109.85 million buffaloes, 74.26 million sheep and 9.06 million pigs.

The guidelines also clearly define human resource norms to ensure adequate staffing, making it mandatory for a minimum staff strength of 19 professionals for district hospitals, including specialized surgeons and pathologists. For each primary centre, there should be at least one qualified veterinary doctor and one para-vet for every 1,000 cattle heads. To ensure last-mile reach, mobile veterinary units with diagnostic kits and surgical facilities will provide auxiliary support via a toll-free call centre system.

"These standards define the minimum norms for space, infrastructure, manpower and equipment, and clearly differentiate facilities providing primary, secondary and tertiary veterinary care. So, it will go a long way in offering quality healthcare to pets and livestock," said Dr Kunal Dev Sharma, chief veterinary surgeon at MaxPetZ, a chain of veterinary hospitals and clinics.

Queries emailed to the spokespersons of the animal husbandry department on 21 January remained unanswered.

National priority

According to the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2025, India's livestock sector contributed 5.49% or ₹8.86 trillion to the total gross value added (GVA) at current prices in FY24, with exported products reaching ₹66,249 crore in FY25.

"The strengthened infrastructure will extend benefits to companion animals like dogs and cats… While the livestock sector's economic contribution is immense, these standards affirm that animal well-being is a national priority," said Dr Piyush Patel, a veterinarian and director of Street Dog Program, Humane World for Animals India. “To maximize this framework's potential, we urge a parallel focus on addressing staff shortages and specialized skill development to ensure these modern facilities are fully operational."

“The guidelines… are expected to significantly improve the quality of animal healthcare, ensure ethical practices and strengthen disease surveillance," said Dr Anuj Kumar, a veterinary practitioner in Chandigarh. “Many clinics and hospitals lack even basic infrastructure. With guidelines in place, the upcoming clinics will ensure that animals receive timely and scientific treatment, irrespective of their location."