Bharat Health Expo 2026: Pharma & Supply Chain

Speaking at the Bharat Health Global Expo 2026 in New Delhi, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal called for India to transform its pharmaceutical leadership by moving beyond generic drugs toward research, innovation, and resilient, globally integrated healthcare supply chains. Joined by Minister of State Jitin Prasada and Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, Mr. Goyal stressed the need to secure domestic supply chains for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Key Starting Materials (KSMs), while urging Indian companies to invest in overseas markets for localized value addition and last-mile distribution. To accelerate this transition, he advocated for heightened focus on biosimilars, novel molecules, and biotechnology—supported by the Research and Development Innovation Fund—alongside regulatory alignment with developed markets to attract foreign direct investment. Highlighting industrial infrastructure, Mr. Goyal pointed to ongoing bulk drug park developments in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as plans for 100 plug-and-play industrial parks tailored for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. He also urged a mission-mode strategy to capture the nearly ₹76,352 crore ($8 billion) medical value travel market. Emphasizing trade expansion, the Minister contrasted India's pre-2014 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)—which covered a combined GDP of ₹954.40 lakh crore ($10 trillion)—with nine recently concluded FTAs unlocking access to ₹5,726.40 lakh crore ($60 trillion) in global GDP. He noted that active negotiations for 8 to 10 additional trade deals aim to provide Indian exporters access to 75% of total global trade.