By Meghna Sharma For pet parents, the real test of a veterinary clinic rarely comes during a routine vaccination. It comes when a dog needs surgery at night, a cat stops eating without warning, or a complicated case requires imaging, a specialist and hospitalisation under one roof. That is why organised veterinary chains are becoming more important in India. They can invest in diagnostics, emergency teams, operating theatres and digital records in ways that many small single-doctor practices cannot.
Even so, this is still a young and fragmented sector. India does not yet have hundreds of national veterinary-hospital chains comparable with human healthcare. The leaders are a mix of fast-growing startup networks, integrated pet-care centres, established multi-speciality hospitals and strong regional groups. For this 2026 ranking, I have considered current clinic or hospital footprint, geographic reach, depth of veterinary services, emergency capability, specialist infrastructure and the ability to maintain a repeatable standard across multiple locations.
1. Vetic
Vetic is currently the largest organised veterinary clinic network in India by clearly reported clinic count. In June 2026, the company said it had grown to more than 65 clinics across 11 cities, including 15 round-the-clock emergency facilities. It plans to add another 25 centres over the following year.
Vetic combines general consultations, vaccinations, diagnostics, surgery, grooming, pharmacy, digital medical records and video consultations through one connected platform. Its rapid expansion into Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and other large markets has made it the clearest scale leader in the new generation of corporate veterinary care.
2. Zigly Vetcare
Zigly, the pet-care business of Cosmo First, operates one of India’s largest integrated pet-care networks. By July 2026, it had 46 centres across 19 cities, with veterinary consultations, diagnostics, surgery, grooming and retail offered within the broader Zigly model.
The company has also strengthened its medical capability through acquisitions. It bought Dr. Santa Animal Healthcare in Bengaluru and the Small Animal Clinic & Surgical Centre in Mumbai, converting them into Zigly multi-speciality facilities. Zigly’s combination of neighbourhood centres, larger hospitals and an omnichannel pet-care platform gives it a distinctive position between a conventional veterinary chain and a full-service pet ecosystem.
3. MaxPetZ
MaxPetZ is one of India’s oldest and most clinically established veterinary hospital groups. The company currently reports 17 hospitals across nine cities and more than 50 qualified veterinarians. Its network covers Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Mangaluru, among other locations.
MaxPetZ is particularly notable for specialist and referral care. Its flagship capabilities include advanced surgery, intensive care, cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, neurology and diagnostic imaging. The group also says it installed the Asia-Pacific region’s first Magnifico Vet MRI in 2024. This deeper hospital infrastructure gives MaxPetZ a different profile from chains built mainly around neighbourhood consultations.
4. SKS Veterinary Hospital
SKS Veterinary Hospital has built one of the strongest multi-city veterinary networks in South India. Its current booking platform lists 15 branches across Chennai, Bengaluru, Trichy, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Hosur, Tiruppur and Noida.
Founded in 2003, SKS offers general veterinary care, advanced diagnostics, surgery, dermatology, cardiology, ophthalmology, dentistry and emergency services at selected locations. Four branches operate in Chennai alone, while the network has expanded steadily into other states. Its combination of regional depth, specialist services and a long operating history makes it one of the most important hospital chains outside the startup-led national networks.
5. Crown Vet
Crown Vet currently operates 10 clinics across six cities, with locations in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Bengaluru and Gurugram. Its network includes 24/7 centres in locations such as Worli, Banjara Hills, Kalyani Nagar and Aundh, alongside additional neighbourhood clinics.
The company focuses heavily on hospital-grade infrastructure, including inpatient wards, surgical suites, radiography, ultrasound, in-house laboratories and dental care. Crown Vet also reports a network of 60+ veterinarians. Its multi-city spread is broader than many similarly sized competitors, and its emphasis on advanced care and emergency services gives it a strong premium position.
6. Dr. Paws
Dr. Paws has developed a focused neighbourhood veterinary chain across Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Its current clinic list shows eight branches in Bengaluru and two in Hyderabad, giving it a 10-clinic network.
The company’s model combines consultations, emergency surgery, diagnostic testing, imaging, grooming and retail in relatively modern neighbourhood clinics. Dr. Paws also emphasises standardised training and customer satisfaction rather than encouraging unnecessary treatment. Its footprint is still concentrated in two cities, but the density of the Bengaluru network makes it one of India’s more substantial city-cluster veterinary chains.
7. Cessna Lifeline Veterinary Hospital
Cessna Lifeline is one of the best-known advanced veterinary hospital brands to emerge from Bengaluru. Its current public location information shows facilities in Bengaluru, Gurugram, Navi Mumbai and Hosur, including multiple branches in Bengaluru.
The chain is particularly associated with complex diagnostics and speciality medicine rather than simple outpatient care. Its flagship operations offer emergency care, imaging, surgery, cardiology, oncology, internal medicine, dermatology and care for exotic pets. Although its physical network is smaller than the leaders above, Cessna’s referral-level medical capability and long-standing Bengaluru presence keep it among India’s most significant veterinary groups.
8. DCC Animal Hospital
DCC – Dogs, Cats & Companions – operates five clinic locations and combines physical veterinary care with telehealth. Its current network includes Gurugram, Delhi, Rewari and Jaipur locations, with multiple centres in Delhi-NCR.
DCC offers consultations, diagnostics, surgery, grooming, boarding and digital medical records. The company is part of the A’alda veterinary network and has built its Indian model around multi-speciality hospitals supported by teleconsultation. Its footprint is smaller than Vetic or Zigly, but it remains one of the more organised veterinary hospital groups in the Delhi-NCR region.
9. Bangalore Pet Hospital
Bangalore Pet Hospital is a strong regional veterinary chain with three branches in Whitefield, Kadugodi and Bellandur. The group says it has been in business for 25 years and provides 24/7 emergency support through its network.
Its services include emergency and trauma care, digital X-ray, ECG, echocardiography, endoscopy, dental treatment, surgery and general wellness care. The chain is geographically concentrated, but its long operating history and broad clinical capabilities make it more than a neighbourhood clinic group. It remains one of Bengaluru’s established multi-branch veterinary names.
10. Pet’s Mart Hospitals
Dr. Kochar’s Pet’s Mart Hospitals operates three veterinary facilities across the Chandigarh Tricity area. The group describes itself as the largest general veterinary practice in Tricity and works with a team of more than nine multi-specialist veterinarians.
Its services include diagnostics, emergency and critical care, surgery, dental care, rehabilitation, behavioural services, pharmacy, boarding and grooming. The network is small compared with the national leaders, but it illustrates an important part of India’s veterinary market: strong regional hospital groups that offer multi-speciality care across a tightly focused local cluster.
Conclusion
India’s organised veterinary-care market in 2026 is growing quickly, but it remains far less consolidated than sectors such as dental care or pharmacy retail. Vetic has established the largest clearly reported clinic network, while Zigly is building a broad services-led pet-care platform. MaxPetZ and SKS bring deeper hospital and specialist infrastructure, and chains such as Crown Vet, Dr. Paws, Cessna and DCC are expanding through focused city clusters.
For pet parents, a large chain can offer useful advantages such as shared records, specialist referrals, extended hours and better diagnostic infrastructure. But the quality of the individual veterinarian still matters enormously. The best choice is a clinic that combines good medical judgement with transparent communication, appropriate facilities and a clear plan for emergencies.
FAQs
Q1. What should pet parents check before choosing a veterinary clinic for regular care?
Check the veterinarian’s qualifications, consultation hours, vaccination and record-keeping process, diagnostic facilities and what happens after normal working hours. It is also useful to know whether the clinic can hospitalise a pet or has a formal referral arrangement for emergencies and specialist care.
Q2. Does a clinic that says it is open 24/7 always have a veterinarian physically present all night?
Not necessarily. Some facilities maintain a full overnight emergency team, while others provide on-call support or keep hospitalised patients under technical supervision with a veterinarian available when required. Pet parents should ask specifically what 24/7 coverage means before an emergency occurs.
Q3. When is it sensible to get a second veterinary opinion?
A second opinion can be useful before major surgery, long-term treatment, cancer therapy, complex orthopaedic procedures or when a pet is not improving as expected. Ask for copies of blood reports, imaging, prescriptions and discharge notes so the second veterinarian can review the case properly.
Q4. Can a pet’s medical records usually be transferred between branches of the same chain?
Many organised chains maintain centralised digital records, which can make branch-to-branch continuity easier. However, systems differ, so pet parents should still keep their own copies of vaccination records, laboratory results, imaging reports and major prescriptions, especially when relocating.
Q5. What cost details should be confirmed before a pet is hospitalised or taken for surgery?
Ask for an estimate covering consultation, diagnostics, anaesthesia, surgeon fees, medicines, hospitalisation, consumables and follow-up care. Emergency cases can change quickly, so the final bill may differ, but a good clinic should explain likely costs, major changes in the treatment plan and any additional procedures that become necessary.