India, May 1 -- image credit- shutterstock

Across the five-year span from 2020-21 to 2024-25, India's import trends for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), key starting materials (KSMs), and drug intermediates reveal a layered shift marked by rapid demand expansion, continued reliance on external sources, and the gradual emergence of domestic manufacturing capacity.

Although India is widely known as the "pharmacy of the world" and holds a strong global position in finished formulations, this advantage still depends significantly on imported bulk drugs and intermediates. This structural reliance is most evident in imports from China, which continues to be the leading supplier across many critical segments, even as policy measures l...