India pharma exports rise 6.8% to USD 8.1 bn in Q1 FY27; vaccine shipments jump 36%
Mumbai, August 12
India's pharmaceutical exports rose 6.80 per cent to USD 8.10 billion in the first quarter of FY27, with vaccine shipments surging 35.68 per cent and bulk drugs and drug intermediates growing 13.84 per cent, according to data released by the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India.
The growth was supported by a broad rise across key product categories and export markets, with Pharmexcil saying continued product diversification, regulatory compliance and expansion into new markets will be important to maintain the momentum going forward.
Pharmaceutical exports stood at USD 7.58 billion in April-June of the previous financial year. In June alone, exports rose 7.13 per cent year-on-year to USD 2.81 billion, up 6.86 per cent from USD 2.63 billion in May FY27.
Drug formulations and biologicals remained the largest export category, accounting for 73.85 per cent of total exports at USD 5.98 billion. The segment grew 4.14 per cent year-on-year during the quarter.
Bulk drugs and drug intermediates, the second-largest category, grew 13.84 per cent to USD 1.36 billion, while vaccine exports increased 35.68 per cent to USD 0.39 billion. Surgical products also recorded 11.95 per cent growth at USD 0.21 billion.
North America, Europe, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean together accounted for nearly 75 per cent of India's pharmaceutical exports during the quarter. North America remained the largest regional market, with a 34.28 per cent share.
The United States remained the largest country-wise destination, with shipments worth USD 2.50 billion and a 30.89 per cent share, followed by Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France.
The top 25 export destinations together accounted for nearly 70 per cent of India's pharmaceutical exports, with shipments worth USD 5.65 billion. Exports to these markets grew 5.50 per cent year-on-year during the quarter.
Pharmexcil Chairman Namit Joshi said, "India must continue consolidating its leadership in generics while building a stronger presence in complex generics, biosimilars, peptides and other innovation-led segments."
Going forward, Pharmexcil said it will work with the government, industry and overseas stakeholders to strengthen market access and regulatory cooperation and support India's expansion across established and emerging markets.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally some good economic news! The US still being our biggest market at 30% share makes me a bit nervous though - we need to diversify more into emerging markets. The bulk drugs growth of 13.8% is particularly encouraging for our Atmanirbhar Bharat push.
Impressive numbers from India! As someone who works in healthcare procurement in the US, I can say Indian pharma has really stepped up on quality and compliance over the past decade. These numbers don't surprise me at all.
While the growth is good, let's not forget that we still need to improve our regulatory framework and quality control. A few years ago, some Indian firms faced import bans from the US FDA. We must ensure quality standards remain top-notch to sustain this momentum.
As someone whose family depends on affordable medicines, I'm proud we can be the "pharmacy of the world" while also keeping domestic prices low. The biosimilars and complex generics push mentioned in the article is the right direction for higher value exports. 👏
The 35% surge in vaccines is remarkable. India has always been a leader in vaccine manufacturing, and this validates the investments made during and post-COVID. The UK and Netherlands being in the top 5 shows Europeans still trust Indian pharma.
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