Blocked payments, lost shipments: Bangladesh unrest disrupts Indian Pharma & Medical Tourism
NEW DELHI : The political turmoil in Bangladesh has created significant obstacles for Indian pharmaceutical exporters and medical tourism companies. Pharma companies are struggling with issues such as blocked payments, misplaced shipments, and unresponsive importers. Meanwhile, Indian medical tourism is also suffering as patients from the region are either abruptly cancelling their plans or are unable to travel due to the local unrest.
According to the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), an arm that functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, now Indian companies are hesitant to supply products to Bangladesh due to unpaid dues and concerns about financial stability.
“Due to the political unrest in Bangladesh, the Indian Pharmaceutical industry — which is into export of drugs and intermediates — has been facing significant challenges, including unpaid dues, concerns about the financial stability and logistics issues,” Raja Bhanu, Director General of Pharmexcil, told.
Also, Bhanu highlighted that due to shared borders, logistics become a major issue, with shipments getting stuck at the border and difficulties in securing insurance but now the conditions are mildly improving.
“In Bangladesh, we may expect the political and economic scenario to improve. However, it is too early to make a conclusive statement on how it will affect our sector,” Bhanu said.
Reflecting a noticeable exposure, Bangladesh sources 30 per cent of its pharmaceutical ingredients from India, which is served by big pharmaceutical firms as well as small and medium-sized firms.
The government data shows that exports to Bangladesh fluctuated in financial year 2024-25 with a decline in activity in June. After a 42.48 per cent increase from April to May, exports grew modestly by 5.66 per cent in June, indicating a slowdown in growth momentum despite earlier gains.
Another Mumbai-based drug maker who exports to Bangladesh told News18 requesting anonymity that the company has stopped taking new export orders until normalcy resumes.
“While the condition is better now in terms of movement of shipments, we still haven’t been able to find out lost shipments costing several lakhs that went missing during the clashes. We are not taking any fresh export orders for Bangladesh till the situation goes back to normal.”
Medical Tourism Impacted
India’s medical tourism has been a lifeline for patients from Bangladesh, offering them high-quality care at affordable prices.
Rajeev Taneja, CEO of Global Care, a medical value travel company that assists NRI patients in receiving treatment in India, told News18 that they have witnessed the highest number of patients coming from Bangladesh in 2023, contributing to over half of their international medical visitors.
However, the ongoing socio-political unrest in Bangladesh has deeply affected these patients, with many forced to cancel or delay their life-saving treatments.
“This situation is heart-breaking as it directly impacts individuals and families who rely on India’s healthcare system for critical care. The decline in patient visits — up to 50 per cent in some cases — not only affects hospital revenues but also highlights the growing uncertainty for those in need.”
Another medical travel company, MediJourn, echoed a similar observation. “The unrest in Bangladesh has undeniably impacted the flow of patients seeking treatment in India, presenting some challenges for healthcare providers and related services,” said Ishaan Dodhiwala, co-founder, MediJourn.
However, the company is confident that as stability returns, the industry will see a steady recovery very soon. “We expect the patient flow to improve in the coming weeks as the Indian visa application centre in Bangladesh has started giving out appointments and we are hopeful that the situation will normalise soon, allowing patients to resume their treatment plans without further delays.”