INDIAN PHARMA EXPORTS JUMP OVER 9% TO USD 30.47 BILLION IN 2024–25
New Delhi, Dec 18, 2025 : Indian pharmaceutical products are globally recognised, with exports rising by 9% in 2024–25, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Wednesday, highlighting India’s expanding presence in quality-conscious global markets.
India’s pharmaceutical exports stood at USD 30.47 billion in 2024–25, registering a growth of 9.4 percent over the previous year. Agrawal made the remarks while inaugurating a one-day Regional Chintan Shivir on Pharmaceutical Exports through a video address from Chandigarh. He noted that India’s domestic pharmaceutical market is currently valued at around USD 60 billion and is expected to nearly double to approximately USD 130 billion by 2030, underlining the sector’s scale, depth and innovation potential.
India is now the world’s third-largest pharmaceutical producer by volume and 14th by value, with more than 3,000 companies, 10,500 manufacturing units and over 60,000 generic brands across 60 therapeutic areas. Indian medicines are exported to more than 200 markets worldwide, with over 60 percent of exports going to stringent regulatory destinations. The United States accounts for around 34 percent of exports, followed by Europe at about 19 percent, reflecting global trust in the quality and reliability of Indian pharmaceutical products.
The Chintan Shivir, organised by the Department of Commerce, Government of India, in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (PHARMEXCIL), brought together policymakers, regulators, industry representatives, exporters including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Indian missions abroad and technical experts to discuss strategies for strengthening India’s pharmaceutical export ecosystem. Discussions focused on addressing non-tariff barriers and regulatory challenges, expanding regulatory cooperation and mutual recognition mechanisms, and building a robust life sciences innovation ecosystem encompassing research and development, clinical trials, biologics, vaccines and biosimilars.
Participants were briefed on recent developments in India’s international trade framework, including the India–United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement signed in July 2025, and the India–European Free Trade Association Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force in October 2025. Emphasis was placed on the zero-tariff provisions under these agreements and their potential to enhance the competitiveness of Indian generic medicines, along with the investment and employment opportunities they could generate.
Technical sessions during the programme covered issues such as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), skilled manpower development, emerging changes in the Foreign Trade Policy, the evolving Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime and the implementation of revised Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Experts from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR–IMTECH), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), state drug control authorities, and industry shared insights on regulatory readiness, quality management systems and workforce development.
The Chintan Shivir concluded with an interactive session on the revised Good Manufacturing Practices framework, reiterating the government’s focus on regulatory strengthening, trade facilitation and close collaboration with industry to further enhance India’s pharmaceutical export competitiveness and global standing.