Overview:
In the last 10 years India has seen a huge change in the retail market.
Larger supermarkets are now found in the big cities and big brands are easy to find.
The traditional mandi stores (local mini markets/small shops) sell nappies/diapers and baby wipes, but these tend to be sold in smaller quantities.
Have a look at http://www.firstcry.com, a website dedicated to baby products. As you can see there are many familiar brands readily available.
Here’s a list of the main supermarkets that you will find in India
Nappies/Diapers:
The most popular brands are Mamy-Poko, Pampers and Huggies. Based on previously experience, I’ve found the quality of Pampers and Huggies varies greatly depending on where the product is manufactured. Many-Poko is consistently great quality, so I would recommend this as my first choice.USD1 = RS65
- Many-Poko (74 nappies) – RS660 (USD10.1)
- Pampers – (24 nappies) – RS255 (USD3.9)
- Huggies (22 nappies) – RS211 (USD3.2)
Milk Powder:
Over the last few years many more infant formula brands have entered the Indian market.
Nestle, Farex and Optimal can all be found in the larger supermarkets. Big Bazaar, Star Bazaar and Reliance supermarkets are fairly common in the bigger metros and cities.
- Nestle Nan Pro (400g) – RS530 (USD8.1)
- Aptamil (400g) – RS640 (USD9.8)
- Farex (450g) – RS398 (USD6.1)
Baby Wipes:
One of the most established local brands in India is Himalaya. This is trusted amongst the locals and is considerably cheaper than the global brands that you may be more familiar with.
- Himalaya (72 wipes) – RS111 (USD1.7)
- Johnsons (80 wipes) – RS165 (USD2.5)
- Many-Poko (50 wipes) – RS72 (USD1.1)
- Pampers (64 wipes) – RS148 (USD2.2)
Pharmaceutical products:
There are plenty of small pharmacies all over India. If you are buying products for an infant I would buy from a larger store, rather than a street side shop and also check the dosage allowances (dosage per weight of child) as they can differ.
Johnsons and Himalaya bathing and washing products are widely available and can also be bought in individual sachets.
