India’s pharmaceutical exports rose 6.8 % year‑on‑year to $8.1 billion in the first quarter of FY27, according to data from the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil). The increase reflects robust demand for affordable generic medicines, rising procurement from developed and emerging markets, and strong growth in vaccines, bulk drugs and drug intermediates.
In April‑June FY27, total pharmaceutical shipments reached $8.10 billion, up from $7.58 billion a year earlier. June alone saw a 7.13 % YoY rise to $2.81 billion, and a 6.86 % increase from May.
Vaccines were the fastest‑growing segment, with exports jumping 35.68 % to $390 million during the quarter. Bulk drugs and intermediates grew 13.84 % to $1.36 billion, while surgical products rose 11.95 % to $210 million.
Drug formulations and biologicals, the largest category, increased 4.14 % to $5.98 billion, representing nearly 74 % of total pharmaceutical exports.
Pharmexcil said the broad‑based growth was due to sustained global demand and increasing purchases from regulated and emerging markets. Multiple product segments contributed, underscoring the resilience of India’s pharma sector.
Regionally, NAFTA (North America), Europe, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean accounted for almost 75 % of India’s pharmaceutical exports. NAFTA alone contributed 34.28 % of overall exports, maintaining its position as the largest overseas market.
The United States remained India’s top export destination, followed by Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France. Exports to the top 25 countries, valued at $5.65 billion, rose 5.5 % YoY and accounted for nearly 70 % of total shipments.
Namit Joshi, chairman of Pharmexcil, said the sector balances scale in established markets with growing traction across new geographies. He highlighted strong growth in Europe, Africa, Latin America, ASEAN and South Asia, and stressed the need to strengthen presence in complex generics, biosimilars, peptides and other innovation‑driven segments.
Bhavin Mehta, vice chairman of Pharmexcil, noted that the sharp rise in vaccine exports and bulk drug growth reflects India’s expanding pharmaceutical capabilities. He added that sustaining momentum will require investment in advanced manufacturing, quality systems, regulatory preparedness and upgrading capabilities among micro, small and medium enterprises.