India’s Pharma Traceability Hits Another Roadblock

In a blow to India's pharmaceutical export ambitions, implementation of the country’s planned track and trace (T&T) system has hit another roadblock, with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) announcing a one-year extension that pushes the deadline to February 2025. This delay follows a previous setback in August 2023.

India's pharmaceutical industry is vital to global healthcare as it is the largest supplier of low-cost generics, vaccines, and affordable HIV medicines, as well as third largest in terms of volume, and 14th in terms of value. Its aspiration, however, is to become the world's number one supplier of drugs by 2030, increasing its revenue to $130 billion, from the current $50 billion.

India has a well-established domestic manufacturing base, a low-cost but skilled workforce, and a growing research and development ecosystem. The Indian pharma industry is therefore well-placed to play a more prominent role in global drug security.

Despite this vital role, the industry grapples with various challenges in a multifaceted landscape where health and commerce intersect. Such challenges include counterfeiting, pricing sensitivity, and a complex global supply chain.