The Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) announces a period of robust growth in pharmaceutical exports in the month of May. India’s pharmaceutical export industry continued its growth trajectory in May 2025, reaching $ 4,961.71 million. This represents a 7.38 per cent expansion compared to May 2024-25. These strategic initiatives underpin the nation’s ambitious goal of achieving a trillion-dollar trade target for the pharmaceutical sector.
Robust export and import performance in May 2025
- Formulations and biologicals continue to hold the major share of India’s total exports, accounting for 75.74 per cent during this period.
- The second major category by value is Bulk drugs and drug intermediates. During May 2025-26 this segment expanded by 4.40 per cent.
- Vaccines were the third largest exported category, valued at $ 190.13 million, experiencing a significant 13.64 per cent increase.
- Surgicals grew by 8.58 per cent, reaching $ 124.62 million.
- Ayush & Herbals products saw a 7.36 per cent growth, with a value of $ 119.89 million.
- NAFTA, EUROPE, AFRICA and LAC are our four major regions for pharma exports. These four regions together account for 76 per cent of our total exports.
- ASEAN (4.88 per cent) was a newly contracted region during this period.
- India’s top 5 countries for pharma exports during May 2025-26 were USA, UK, Brazil, South Africa, and France.
- Exports to the US, which account for 34.50 per cent of our exports in pharma products, have expanded by 1.50 per cent. Our exports to the USA were valued at $ 1711.75 million during May 2025-26.
- Europe grew moderately by 3.14 per cent, and Africa by 1.71 per cent.
“India’s pharmaceutical exports continue to demonstrate a steady year-over-year growth, with drug formulations and biologicals continuing to dominate the export category”, explains Namit Joshi, Chairman, Pharmexcil. “We attribute this growth to rising global demand, streamlined regulatory approvals, technological innovations, strategic partnerships, and economic stability. As a nodal agency, we also strive to enhance buyer-seller communications in order to increase the ease of doing business globally. Pharmexcil continues to simplify essential processes through digital services, ensuring efficiency for industry stakeholders”, he said.
He also lauds the progress on India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) discussions, which is expected to enhance supply chains, improve access to affordable medicines, and foster foreign direct investment (FDI), particularly in contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) and joint research.
With the Department of Commerce setting a trillion-dollar trade target for the pharmaceutical sector, Pharmexcil aims to provide deeper insights and strategic direction to the industry, driving leadership in innovation, affordability, and excellence to meet this ambitious goal.