Sector Snapshot · Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology

India Remains the 'Pharmacy of the World'

A fast-read primer on India's pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sector — the backdrop against which we benchmark every company's cost structure in this category.

US$57.61 bn

Indian pharma market size, 2025

Global rank as pharma exporter by volume

20%

India's share of global generic medicine supply

US$31.11 bn

Pharma exports, FY26

US$195 bn

India's bioeconomy size, 2025

Market Size and Exports Are Both Climbing

The domestic market keeps growing at a steady clip, alongside consistently rising pharma exports.

Indian Pharma Market (US$ billion)

2025 → 2031 forecast

$57.61bn

2025

$79.74bn

2031F

Pharma Exports (US$ billion)

FY25 → FY26

$30.38bn

FY25

$31.11bn

FY26

What's Pushing the Sector Forward

Global leadership in generics, robust biotech growth, and strong policy support define the sector.

Leading Global Producer

Supplies 1 in 5 generic medicines globally
3rd in global export volume, up from 7th in 2019

Robust Growth

Bioeconomy set to nearly double to $300bn by 2030
CRDMO industry to double to $14bn by 2028

Policy Support

PLI scheme with a Rs15,000cr outlay
Rs60,000cr API-push announced in December 2025

Recent Developments

A sample of the industry-wide and policy moves shaping the sector through early 2026.

→ India's pharmaceutical industry has maintained over 10% annual growth for the past five years (2020-25).
→ Pharma exports rose to Rs2.74 lakh crore ($31.11bn) in FY26, from Rs2.59 lakh crore ($30.38bn) in FY25.
→ India's bioeconomy expanded to over $195 billion in 2025, projected to reach ~$300 billion by 2030.
→ The government announced a Rs60,000 crore API-push to boost domestic manufacturing and cut import dependence.
→ India has the largest number of USFDA-compliant plants outside the US, with 2,000+ WHO-GMP approved facilities.
→ Union Budget 2026-27 proposes a Rs10,000 crore 'Biopharma Shakti' initiative over five years.

Companies We Benchmark in This Sector

Listed Indian Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology companies in tDoBe's cost-benchmarking coverage.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries

Divi's Laboratories

Torrent Pharmaceuticals

Cipla

Zydus Lifesciences

Lupin

Mankind Pharma

Dr Reddy's Laboratories

Laurus Labs

Aurobindo Pharma

Biocon

Alkem Laboratories

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals

Abbott India

Ipca Laboratories

Anthem Biosciences

Ajanta Pharma

Gland Pharma

See How These Companies Compare on Cost

The numbers above set the stage. Our Report translates it into a company-by-company cost benchmark — down to the category — so you can see exactly where a business sits against its peers.

Explore the Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology Report