India is the largest supplier of generic drugs to the West, along with supplying 60% of the global demand for vaccines, mostly to the developing world, earning India the nickname “The Pharmacy to the World”.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the country has rapidly ramped up its production of APIs, much of which were previously imported from China. Types of APIs produced in India include antibiotics such as amoxicillin, antidepressants such as trazodone, and cardiovascular APIs such as Losartan.
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, (APIs), are the components of a drug that cause the intended impact. API’s, or bulk drugs, are mixed with binding agents or solvents to create the consumable medical product. APIs can be produced chemically through reactor machines or through natural processes such as fermentation.
Today, India is a global leader in API production, ranking third in volume of medicines produced, as of 2024. Diversification away from China has led to India being able to step into a manufacturing role in the pharmaceuticals industry.
India is leaning into the pharmaceutical world and continuing to grow. In 2022, the government of India created three bulk drug “parks”, specialized industrial zones focused on API and other drug manufacturing. The drug parks are located in the western state of Gujarat, the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, and the southwestern state of Andhra Pradesh.
India’s pharmaceutical industry is on an upward trajectory. Smart companies are diversifying away from China and looking to other highly qualified countries to conduct important work such as API production. India’s capacity for API production is growing, and will continue its development into a powerhouse for active pharmaceutical ingredients.