The India’s pharmaceutical industry continues to strengthen globally despite the tariff, with the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) now featuring among the top five export promotion councils of the world with exports reaching $30.46 billion.
“Our move from fifth to fourth position reflects strong performance in generics, which contribute USD 16 billion, and continued trust from the US and Europe accounting for 50–53 percent of exports. Despite initial tariff concerns under Section 232, no duties have been imposed and exports remain in positive territory,” said Namit Joshi, Chairman, Pharmexcil at the CPHI & PMEC India event organised by Informa Markets in India.
“The next phase of growth will depend on advancing into complex generics, peptides, biosimilars, and biologics. With increasing global competition and opportunities in emerging categories such as obesity therapeutics, our goal is to evolve from being launch-focused to innovation-driven, and with strong policy support we remain confident in India’s continued leadership,” he said.
Stating that India’s pharmaceutical sector was undergoing a significant shift Kalyan Chakravarthy, Executive Vice President, Dr. Reddys said imports of active ingredients from China, which previously grew at 14% to 15% annually, have now plateaued, rising only from ₹23,000 crore in 2023 to about ₹24,000 crore today.
“This stabilization reflects the impact of initiatives such as the PLI scheme which are strengthening domestic manufacturing capability, improving value-chain control, and encouraging local entrepreneurship,” he said.
“The active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) market, currently growing at around 5 percent, is expected to achieve double-digit growth by 2030, supported by upcoming patent expiries between 2026 and 2029 and the evolution of new therapies. The next phase of Indian pharma will be driven by self-reliance, scientific strength, and the vision to deliver global innovation from India,” he added.
Dr. Sridevi Khambhampaty, CEO, Shilpa Biologicals said, “Biologics is entering an exciting phase with Europe and the US easing biosimilar regulations, including waivers for Phase 3 trials. This is lowering entry barriers for Indian players and accelerating biosimilar development.”
“The biologics industry in India has matured over the last decade and is now ready to step into innovative biologics,” she said.
Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said, “India’s pharmaceutical sector has achieved remarkable growth, with exports doubling to USD 30 billion and nearly half of global life sciences leaders establishing operations here.”
“We are witnessing a powerful transformation as India strengthens its footprint across traditional generics, complex formulations, biologics, and advanced therapies,” he said.
Avneet Singh Setia, Director Marketing, IM Healthcare, said, “India continues to lead globally in pharmaceuticals, and the nutraceutical space has now become one of its fastest-growing segments. The market is currently valued at around USD 5.17 billion and is expanding at a strong 13.1 percent CAGR, with COVID-19 accelerating preventive health adoption by almost five years.”
Published – November 28, 2025 03:59 am IST
