Pharmaceutical Talks: Piyush Goyal Meets Stakeholders to Drive Innovation; Companies are confident that the sector will remain unaffected by the US tariff threat – The Times of India

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal held an important interaction with stakeholders from the Indian pharmaceutical sector, focusing on strengthening industry growth and regulatory reforms. The minister highlighted discussions on innovation, data protection frameworks, investment commitments and opportunities to scale up manufacturing in India.

In a post on social media, Goyal said, “I had an engaging interaction with key stakeholders from the Indian pharmaceutical ecosystem with a focus on strengthening our regulatory frameworks and accelerating growth. We discussed the industry perspectives on innovation, data protection frameworks, investment commitments and opportunities to scale up manufacturing in India.”He also reiterated the Centre’s commitment to building a future-proof, innovation-led pharmaceutical sector capable of increasing competitiveness and attracting high-quality investments, while continuing to deliver world-class, affordable healthcare solutions.The meeting comes amid global concerns about potential trade disruptions. In September, US President Donald Trump announced a proposed 100 percent tariff on branded and patented pharmaceutical products from October 1, 2025, unless manufacturers set up production facilities in the United States. The implementation of the tariff is still pending.Despite these concerns, industry representatives in India remain confident that Indian pharmaceutical exports will remain largely unaffected.Sudarshan Jain, general secretary of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, was quoted by ANI as saying that India mainly exports generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the US, which are not covered by the proposed tariff.Industry experts note that India’s strong global position in the generic drug market provides resilience to such policy changes, while the government’s focus on innovation, manufacturing scale and regulatory efficiency is expected to support long-term growth.The US remains India’s largest pharmaceutical market, accounting for over 31 percent of total exports and 47 percent of generic shipments.India’s exports of drugs and pharmaceutical products to the US rose to $2.62 billion in September 2025, underscoring the sector’s robust performance amid global uncertainties.