India Targets Russia, Brazil, and EU to Boost Pharma Exports Amid US Tariff Fears

India is preparing to increase pharma exports to countries like Russia, the Netherlands, and Brazil. It aims to increase its presence in other countries beyond its largest market, America, amid tariff concerns, and to identify additional markets. Currently, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is free from US President Donald Trump's 50 percent tariff, but the sector is worried due to uncertainty about the situation.

The US contributes a little more than a third to India's pharma exports. This mainly includes cheap generic versions of popular medicines. According to Amar Ujala sources, the US is planning to impose tariffs of up to 200 per cent on pharma products. To deal with this, India wants to increase exports to other markets. The countries on which the country is mainly eyeing include Russia, Brazil, the Netherlands, and some European countries of Europe.

Exploring new markets will help in dealing with tariffs:

• Challenges will be discussed: India hopes that the regulatory challenges of these markets will be discussed at the upcoming International Pharmaceutical Exhibition to be held in New Delhi. Global regulatory stakeholders will also be involved in this. Since exports cannot increase overnight, regulatory challenges in these countries will be discussed. The Indian government is in talks with pharmaceutical groups to focus on increasing exports to Britain after the free trade agreement.
• Britain is the second largest market: Britain is India's second largest export market. Its sales are $ 914 million. Medicines worth $ 778 million are sold in Brazil. Exports to the Netherlands and Russia in 2024-25 stood at $ 616 million and $ 577 million, respectively. With the existing manufacturing capacity of Indian medicine manufacturers, exports to new markets are expected to increase by 20 percent. New markets cannot substitute for revenues from the US, which will always remain important for India, sources said.