Hyderabad: Godrej Consumer Products is aiming to build its pet food brand Ninja into a Rs 500 crore business over the next three years as it accelerates expansion beyond Tamil Nadu, betting on the rapidly evolving pet care market that has transformed from a two-player category a decade ago to a Rs 6,000 crore market. The company, which entered the pet food segment last year, starting with Tamil Nadu, announced a foray into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Monday. With Karnataka being the next market the company will foray into in about a month's time, it plans to expand across southern India over the course of this year before taking the brand pan-India from FY28.Also read: India is plotting a game-changer for RBI, banks, corporates, investors"The category was largely a two-player phenomenon for nearly two decades," Nitin Jain, Chief Operating Officer, Godrej Pet Care told ET. "Over the last four to five years, several brands have entered, and today there are at least 15 pet food brands across different price segments."Godrej's expansion follows a year-long pilot in Tamil Nadu, where the company said Ninja has captured close to a 10% market share. The company said achieving a sustained market share of more than 5% is an indicator of product-market fit, adding that the Tamil Nadu performance gave it the confidence to expand across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala.Godrej had earmarked Rs 500 crore to build its pet care business, including investments in manufacturing, distribution and brand building. While declining to share revenue milestones beyond the near term, the company said its immediate ambition is to build Ninja into a Rs 500 crore brand within three years before pursuing a larger long-term opportunity.The expansion comes at a time when India's broader consumption environment remains subdued. However, the company said the pet food segment has proved relatively resilient, with consumers choosing to trade down to more affordable brands rather than abandoning packaged pet food altogether.Also read: Waka Waka! Indian consumer giants seek to roar louder in Africa"People may move from super-premium products to mainstream offerings, but they are not necessarily exiting the category," the company said, adding that affordability has become a key lever for driving adoption among first-time users.Rather than focusing solely on taking market share from incumbents, Godrej said its strategy is to expand the overall category by converting households that continue to rely on home-cooked food for pets. The company believes India's packaged pet nutrition market remains significantly underpenetrated, leaving ample room for sustained long-term growth despite intensifying competition from established players like Royal Canine, Drools, Pedigree, Nestle's Purina and new entrants like Reliance Industries' Waggies.