India Pharma Outlook Team | Wednesday, 03 September 2025
India is planning to increase pharmaceutical exports to Russia, the Netherlands and Brazil, diversifying its markets beyond the United States, which remains its largest buyer. Two industry sources confirmed the move, highlighting tariff-related uncertainty under US President Donald Trump’s administration.
India’s pharmaceutical exports to the US are currently exempt from Trump’s tariffs of up to 50%, but the sector remains cautious. The US accounted for slightly more than a third of India’s pharma exports, valued at approximately $10.5 billion in fiscal 2025, driven largely by affordable generic drugs.
"India wants to increase exports to other markets, and we believe there is scope for growth in Russia, Brazil, the Netherlands, and parts of Europe," one of the sources said.
"The idea is to diversify our export chain and increase market share in other countries," the source added.
Also Read: Containment Strategies in Pharma Facilities
The United Kingdom stands as India’s second-largest export market, with sales worth $914 million, followed by Brazil at $778 million. Exports to the Netherlands and Russia were valued at $616 million and $577 million respectively in fiscal 2025, government data showed.
Industry experts suggest that with India’s strong drug manufacturing capacity, exports to new markets could grow by at least 20%. However, they noted that the US will continue to remain India’s most critical export destination.
"We cannot increase exports overnight... so there will be discussions on regulatory challenges in these countries," the first source said, pointing to the upcoming International Pharmaceutical Exhibition in New Delhi where these issues will be addressed.
The government is also eyeing opportunities from its free trade agreement with the UK, with expectations of increased NHS procurement of generics and APIs.
