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Imports of bulk drugs decline for the third consecutive month in June
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Gireesh Babu, New Delhi
August 04 , 2025
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The trend of decline in imports of bulk drugs and intermediates to the country continued for the third consecutive month of FY26, with a decline of 12.36% reported for the month of June, as compared to the same month a year ago.
During the month of June, 2025, the bulk drug and intermediates imports declined to $327.05 million, as compared to $373.18 million in the same month of last year.
This is despite a slight increase of two percent in quantity of imports, at 38,889 MT during June as compared to 38,126 MT imported in the same month, last year, according to data from the ministry of commerce and industry.
In Rupee terms, the decline was of 9.8% at Rs. 2,809.5 crore during June, this year, as compared to Rs. 3,115 crore in the corresponding month of last fiscal year.
It may be noted that the imports declined 6.3% in May and 2.32% in April, 2025 compared to the corresponding months of previous year.
The first quarter of FY26, from April to June, 2025, reported a decline of 6.9% in bulk drug imports at $1.08 billion, as compared to $1.16 billion in the same period of previous fiscal year. This is compared to a 8.4% growth in imports reported during April to June, 2024, as compared to the corresponding three months of the previous fiscal year.
Quantity of imports grew 1.44% during April to June, 2025, at 1,26,817 MT, as compared to 1,25,020 MT during the same period of last fiscal year. This is compared to an imports growth of 16.40% reported during April to June, 2024, as compared to 1,07,387 MT imported during April to June, 2023.
In Rupee terms, the imports declined 4.45% during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, at Rs. 9,279.8 crore as compared to Rs.9,712 crore April to June, 2024. The imports in April to June, 2024, was a 10% growth as compared to Rs. 8,824.6 crore registered during April to June, 2023, according to official data.
The Central government has been emphasising on reducing the imports of essential pharmaceutical raw materials such as bulk drugs, drug intermediates and key starting materials, among others, and has initiated various incentive schemes to support domestic production of these materials.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals has been promoting production of pharma raw materials in the country, including through a production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for promotion of domestic manufacturing of critical key starting materials (KSMs)/drug intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the country, to support the industry in various aspects regarding ease of doing business and availing the benefits of the Scheme.
As of March 2025, against an investment commitment of Rs. 3,938.5 crore over the period of six years, investment of Rs. 4,570 crore has already been made under the scheme. As a result of the scheme, cumulative sales of Rs. 1,817 crore have been reported over the period from the beginning of the scheme till March 2025, including exports of Rs. 455 crore, thereby avoiding imports worth Rs. 1,362 crore and creation of domestic manufacturing capacity for 25 identified key starting materials (KSMs)/drug intermediates (DIs)/active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in India, according to the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers.
Till March 2025, total domestic sales of API and DIs, worth Rs 22,658 crore, have been made under the PLI scheme for pharmaceuticals, which includes sales of over 190 APIs and DIs that were manufactured domestically for the first time.
It has also announced schemes to promote bulk drug parks in the country, as part of its efforts to promote domestic manufacturing of pharma ingredients.
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