India’s pharmaceutical exports increased during the first nine months of the current financial year, rising from USD 21.7 billion in April–December 2024–25 to USD 23.1 billion in April–December 2025–26, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
This growth reflects continuing global demand for Indian formulations, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and generic medicines, even as trade conditions remain uncertain.
Emerging markets played a significant role in the expansion of India’s drug shipments. Data from the Commerce Ministry highlights that Africa and Latin America together contributed over 22 per cent of the incremental export growth, with Nigeria accounting for more than 14 per cent of the increase and Brazil contributing around 7.9 per cent. This diversification underscores rising healthcare demand and expanded public procurement in these regions for Indian pharmaceuticals.
By contrast, growth in traditional, mature markets was more moderate. The United States contributed about 4 per cent of the overall growth in India’s pharma exports during the period, while exports to the United Kingdom declined marginally and shipments to Belgium remained largely unchanged. Beyond the US, export gains were spread across countries such as the Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Russia, reflecting a broadening of geographic demand.
The widening of the export base to include fast-growing markets alongside established ones is seen as a positive sign for the resilience and long-term stability of India’s pharmaceutical export sector.
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