New Delhi, Feb 3: India continues to rely heavily on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), bulk drugs and drug intermediates, with imports valued at approximately USD 4.35 billion in 2024–25, Parliament was informed on Monday.
According to official data, India imported around 200 categories of APIs, bulk drugs and drug intermediates during the financial year, with China accounting for about 73.7 per cent of total imports. The figures are based on Harmonised System of Nomenclature (HSN) import data compiled by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS).
Besides China, other major sources of API imports include the European Union (13.64 per cent), followed by Singapore (2.49 per cent), the United States (1.96 per cent) and Japan (1.82 per cent). Smaller shares were sourced from countries such as Switzerland, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
The government noted that several critical therapeutic segments have a high dependence on imported APIs. These include antibiotics, anti-fungal and anti-amoebic drugs, medicines for gastrointestinal disorders, antidiabetic treatments, endocrine and hormonal therapies, cardiovascular and oncology drugs, as well as products related to female infertility, contraception, neurology, substance use disorders and essential amino acid deficiency.
Highlighting potential risks, the government said excessive reliance on single-source imports exposes the pharmaceutical sector to vulnerabilities arising from geopolitical uncertainties, price volatility and predatory pricing practices. Such risks, it said, threaten India’s goal of self-reliance and pharmaceutical security, a challenge that became evident during disruptions experienced in the COVID-19 period.
The information was provided by Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
