The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the world’s third-largest by volume and 14th-largest in terms of value. The total annual turnover of pharmaceuticals was Rs 2,89,998 crore in 2019-20. The pharma sector currently contributes to around 1.72 per cent of the country’s GDP.
India has the second-highest number of FDA (Food and Drug Administration)-approved plants outside the US. India is a global leader in the supply of Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DPT), Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), and Measles vaccines. The country also accounts for 60 per cent of global vaccine production, contributing 40 per cent to 70 per cent of the World Health Organisation (WHO) demand for DPT and Bacillus Calmette–Guérin BCG vaccines, and 90 per cent of the WHO demand for the measles vaccine.
India is the largest provider of generic drugs globally. Access to affordable HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) treatment from India is one of the greatest success stories in medicine. Because of the low price, Indian medicines are preferred worldwide.
(Source: Annual report of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India)
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