India’s pharma exports cross $30 billion in FY25, March sees highest surge

NEW DELHI : In a significant achievement, India’s annual drug and pharmaceutical exports touched an unprecedented record $30 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 bolstered by a 31 percent year-on-year surge in March.

Pharma exports in March rose 31.21 percent YoY to $3681.51 million ($2805.71 million). The next best performance during the fiscal came in January when the exports rose 21.47 percent to $2590.88 million ($2132.92 million).

According to official trade data, the pharmaceutical exports reached $30,467.32 million in FY25, more than 9 percent increase than $27,851.70 million in FY24.

Pharmaceutical exports touched $30 billion for the first time, according to a report.

The exports to the US (in value terms) increased 14.29 percent at $8,953.37 million in FY25. Other countries on top of India’s pharma exports were the UK, Brazil, France and South Africa last fiscal.

The March performance stood out in a fiscal that will be remembered for the developments in the mainstay US market even as India continued with efforts to tap into and build on the initial gains from new markets. If a shortage of generic prescription drugs in the US raised hopes initially in the fiscal year, toward the year-end, the reciprocal 26 percent tariff President Donald Trump threatened to introduce had exporters scramble to ship more. Pharma, however, did not figure in the list of goods for which the levy was announced and put on hold for 90 days.

Beyond the US factor, the FY25 exports came in the face of geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown and logistical challenges.