September 10 2026
Andrea Cyrill Khurana: India’s pet grooming pioneer with a growing international presence
(Sep 10, 2026) Advancing India’s pet grooming industry over the past 18 years, Andrea Cyrill Khurana, Founder of Petsburgh in Mumbai and the Professional Pet Groomers Association of India (PPGAI), has built an international career through advanced training, certification and mentoring. From earning International Certified Master Groomer designation from IPG USA to becoming the first Indian groomer to present at the World Dog Grooming Competition, she is taking pet grooming expertise to the global stage.
Andrea’s educational journey into professional pet grooming started in Sydney, Australia, back in 2007. Since then, she has travelled to several countries in pursuit of more knowledge and skill enhancement.
“I have received international training in Australia, Malaysia, and South Korea and hold the ICMG (International Certified Master Groomer) designation from IPG USA and am currently the country’s only international certified instructor and the only mentor to have trained groomers across Germany, Serbia, Poland, and Turkey. That’s really what took me beyond India first. It’s grown since into things like speaking at the World Dog Grooming Competition at Groomania in Belgium this September, where I’ll be the first Indian groomer to present,” she mentions in a chat with The Global Indian.
According to Andrea, there are real differences between how Asia and Europe approach pet care. Different food, restrictions around religious spaces, different preferences in the type of pet people keep, and even grooming styles shaped by climate. But underneath all that, love for animals shows up the same way everywhere.
If someone genuinely loves animals, that feeling doesn’t care what culture, or geography they come from. That’s probably the biggest thing travelling and speaking internationally has taught me. The differences are real and worth respecting, but the instinct underneath is the same.
Andrea Cyrill Khurana
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Being a significant pillar of India’s pet grooming industry
Andrea was born in a small town in North India, though most of her childhood was spent at boarding school in Mumbai. Her family always kept dogs, Lhasa Apsos specifically, and they used to take them to dog shows.
“That’s genuinely where grooming entered my life, though it looked nothing like what I do now. We bathed our dogs with human shampoo, brushed them with our own brushes and let them dry in the sun before a show. No technique, just instinct and love,” she recalls.
She later did her diploma in fashion designing at IIFT Delhi, then went to the University of Arts London for advertising and typography and picked up web design along the way too. And while none of it points in a straight line toward pet grooming, it all fed into how she eventually built Petsburgh and PPGAI.
Careerwise, she admits that fashion and advertising came first, not animals, even though she always ended up finding a community pet to care for no matter where she went. She designed, studied in London, spent time modelling and in television, and pet grooming became her full-time world only after that.
She started Petsburgh in Mumbai in 2008, back when professional grooming barely existed here as an actual career. PPGAI followed in 2019, built to give the industry the certification and standards it was missing.
Taking Indian grooming expertise beyond borders
“Now I’m building PUPP, which will be India’s first credit-based pet professional education institution, aiming for a January 2027 launch,” she says. “Petsburgh has trained over 500 professionals across 25-plus cities and five countries since 2008. PPGAI organised its seventh International Grooming Competition and Certification Exam at IIPTF this August in New Delhi, and we’ve built genuine credibility internationally through appearances at events like the World Dog Show and Groomania.”
PUPP is the next step in that story, moving the industry past one-off workshops into proper accredited education,” she says. Her international exposure has also shaped how she sees the industry in India. For Andrea, the goal is not simply to participate in global conversations but to ensure that Indian professionals are taken seriously within them.
A self-confessed introvert unless she is doing something she cares about, she admits that at a party, she will find a quiet corner.
“Put me in a room talking about grooming or animals, and I’m a different person entirely. I’m also drawn to people who feel unseen, and I try to help them feel secure enough to go after what they want. Walking into big international events still makes me uncomfortable if I’m honest. I must remind myself that this is exactly what I was meant to do, to push this industry forward and give people who never had the opportunity a real shot, while making sure India is taken seriously in the global pet care conversation, not just watching from the sidelines,” she adds.
My goal hasn’t really changed since I started. I want India to be a genuinely respected voice in global pet care, not just present in the room but shaping the conversation.
Andrea Cyrill Khurana
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Learning, certification and global exposure
The hardest thing for her is that she has had to fight for the fact that the idea that grooming is just washing dogs is wrong. It took years, lakhs of rupees, and every bit of energy she had for animal welfare to get here.
“None of it was handed to me. I paid for it, in every sense, and I still believe in constantly learning and upgrading, even now. That belief is the whole reason PPGAI exists, to give groomers access to international talent and a real platform to be seen. It’s also why I’m building PUPP, to make that access more affordable and more structured, not just for grooming but for other pet service professions too,” she avers.
Her work has increasingly connected Indian groomers with international talent, knowledge and platforms, while her own journey has taken her into grooming communities across several countries.
Bridging cultures through a shared love for animals
Her experiences across countries have reinforced her belief that the differences between cultures matter, but so does the common connection people have with animals. She likes the idea of being able to sit across from international peers, exchange ideas honestly, and still bring her own culture and beliefs to the table without softening them to fit in.
“What matters most in that exchange is mutual respect, no matter where someone comes from. It’s not about blending in. It’s about showing up fully as yourself while genuinely engaging with people who see the world differently,” she says.
Building opportunities for the next generation
Her advice to young entrepreneurs is to stop negotiating from a place of asking for approval. Negotiate from the value you bring.
“I had to learn that the hard way myself. For a long time, I walked into rooms trying to convince people to give me a chance instead of recognising that what I had to offer was genuinely worth something and showing up like it. And invest in yourself before you invest in the trappings of success. The best tools, the best branding, none of it means anything without the skill to use it well. Build that first,” she says.
Through PUPP, she will be starting a scholarship programme for students who have real talent but are held back by money. She also supports animal rescues and feeders when she can.
“And closer to home, my own team knows I have their back, whether it’s about their pets, community animals, or just something going on in their own lives,” she adds. Her immediate focus is PUPP’s launch in January 2027, building it properly from the ground up.
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