Traditional Indian fermented dairy products like dahi, lassi, chhach, and shrikhand remain cornerstone dietary elements, but this cultural heritage is now converging with the commercial scaling of clinically validated probiotic strains. This review traces the expansion of India’s probiotic and fermented dairy market, evaluates the microbiological mechanisms driving its health benefits, and assesses its impact on the nation’s unique epidemiological landscape —including lactose malabsorption, gut infections, antibiotic resistance, and skyrocketing metabolic diseases. The analysis reveals that while market growth (roughly 10-17% CAGR) outstrips rival functional-food segments, the corresponding regulatory and quality control systems remain underdeveloped, causing a disconnect between retail assertions and rigorous, strain-specific clinical validation. The paper offers strategic recommendations for the dairy sector, regulatory authorities, and consumers to effectively convert this commercial momentum into measurable, widespread public health improvements.
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