Parliament Question: Pharmaceutical Export Recovery Post-Sigachi Industrial Accident

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5692 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 27th MARCH, 2026 Pharmaceutical Export Recovery Post-Sigachi Industrial Accident 5692. Shri Vamsi Krishna Gaddam: Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state: (a) the quantified impact of the Sigachi Industries explosion in Telangana killing 36 workers on 1st July, 2025 on India's pharmaceutical exports which was valued at $30 billion in FY 2024- 25 and the diplomatic communications sent to major importing countries; (b) the specific measures taken to reassure regulatory authorities in key pharmaceutical export destinations after this industrial accident, considering Telangana's pharmaceutical exports stood at $4.66 billion in FY 2021-22; (c) the bilateral trade discussions held with countries importing Indian pharmaceuticals to prevent any suspension of drug approvals or increased scrutiny of Indian manufacturing facilities post-accident; (d) the coordination mechanism established between Indian missions and pharmaceutical export promotion council to address concerns raised by international buyers regarding manufacturing safety standards in Telangana; and (e) the timeline for implementing enhanced safety protocols in pharmaceutical export units to prevent diplomatic complications and maintain world's largest generic drug supplier? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL) (a) to (e). While the Sigachi Industries explosion in Telangana has caused a localised disruption, India’s overall export of pharmaceutical products remain resilient. India’s exports of pharmaceuticals increased from USD 27.75 billion in the Calendar Year 2024 to USD 30.45 billion in the Calendar Year 2025, reflecting a growth of approximately 9.7%, indicating a steady expansion in India’s pharmaceutical export performance. The Government, through the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and State licensing authorities, continues to enforce good manufacturing practices to ensure quality and safety of Indian pharmaceutical products. The Government engages in regular bilateral trade discussions through various forums including Joint Working Groups, Fast Track Mechanisms, Joint Commission Meetings and Joint Trade Committees, to ensure sustained market access, broad economic security and supply chain resilience. These dialogues serve to address trade-related queries and prevent unilateralactions or non-tariff barriers, and ensure that isolated industrial incidents do not adversely affect overall trade flows. The Government including the export promotion agencies and Indian Missions abroad coordinate whenever concerns regarding safety or compliance are raised and facilitate the necessary exchange of information and compliance documents from exporters to address such queries/concerns effectively. All factories are legally required to comply with safety provisions under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. In order to reinforce compliance, safety awareness programmes, training of safety officers and special inspection, drives are undertaken to ensure adherence to prescribed safety protocols on a continuous basis. *****