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Commerce ministry to organize business delegation to ASEAN countries in March 2026
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Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai
January 19 , 2026
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The Union ministry of commerce & industry is organizing a business delegation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries of Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam between March 2 and March 13, 2026.
ASEAN region continues to offer significant potential for Indian pharmaceutical products. During FY 2024–25, India’s pharmaceutical exports to ASEAN were valued at USD 1,763.88 million, accounting for approximately 6.13% of India’s total pharma exports. India’s generic medicines market is significantly larger, with industry reports projecting the domestic generic drugs market to reach USD 27–30 billion by FY 2025–26.
The delegation holds a lot of significance considering the strategic importance of the ASEAN region as a focus area for pharmaceutical exports from India.
Pharma exporters participating in the delegation can avail Market Access Initiative (MAI)/Export Promotion Mission (EPM) assistance as part of the business delegation.
“The delegation will be led by the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil). The proposed visit schedule has already been shared with the respective Missions and confirmation has been received for hosting the business delegation. The delegation is scheduled to visit these countries as an approved activity under the MAI/EPM programme of the Council,” informs K Raja Bhanu, director general (DG), Pharmexcil.
The key activities of the delegation include meetings with trade bodies and follow-up business discussions, India-Cambodia Pharma Conference followed by B2B meetings and India-Malaysia Pharma Conference followed by B2B meetings.
As part of the Business Delegation, Buyer–Seller Meets (BSMs) will be organized in each country, complemented by meetings with regulatory authorities and leading trade associations. Member exporting companies are required to submit a mandatory Registration form with complete details as per the specified format latest by January 19, 2026.
Under the MAI/EPM assistance, support is available only for the director/partner/proprietor or a full time senior managerial officer of the entity and shall be extended to Indians nationals only.
The EPM is a new, Indian government comprehensive initiative with a total outlay of Rs. 25,060 crore for a six-year period (FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31). The EPM consolidates key export support schemes, including the MAI scheme and the Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES), into a unified framework to address structural challenges faced by exporters. A specific component under the EPM, the Market Access Support (MAS) scheme, was launched in January 2026 with an allocation of Rs. 4,531 crore. This component is designed to help exporters participate in international events and meets, absorbing the core functions of the previous MAI scheme.
EPM also aims to boost India's exports by mapping Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) and supporting MSMEs, while Pharmexcil is the government-promoted body for India's pharma sector, working within the EPM framework by collecting data on regulatory requirements for its members to help them navigate global markets.
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