India eyes Russia, Brazil, and Netherlands to grow pharma exports amid U.S. tariff concerns

India plans to increase its pharmaceutical exports to Russia, the Netherlands, and Brazil, according to two industry sources familiar with the matter, aiming to expand its presence beyond the United States amid concerns over tariffs.

India’s pharmaceutical industry is currently exempt from the tariffs of up to 50% imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, but the sector has shown unease due to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

The U.S. accounts for just over a third of India’s pharmaceutical exports, which primarily consist of lower-cost generic versions of popular medications. Sales in the country rose 20%, reaching approximately US$10.5 billion in the 2025 fiscal year.

“India wants to increase exports to other markets, and we believe there’s room for growth in Russia, Brazil, the Netherlands, and parts of Europe,” said one of the sources.

“The idea is to diversify our export chain and grow our market share in other countries.”

The sources requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media.

The United Kingdom is India’s second-largest pharmaceutical export market, with US$914 million in sales, followed by Brazil at US$778 million.

Exports to the Netherlands and Russia totaled US$616 million and US$577 million, respectively, in the 2025 fiscal year, according to government data.

Given the existing manufacturing capacity of India’s pharmaceutical industry, there is potential to increase exports to newer markets by 20%, the sources noted.

However, the newer markets cannot replace U.S. revenue, which will always be crucial for India, they said, adding that the goal is “to identify additional markets for growth.”

Source: UOL

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