India’s chemicals and pharmaceutical trade
The chemicals basket spans basic industrial inputs, fertilisers, specialty chemistry and finished medicines. India’s pharmaceutical export strength sits beside large upstream material deficits.
$73.8bn
$65.2bn
$8.6bn
+7.2%
since FY21–22
+10.9%
since FY21–22
Imports, exports and the widening gap
Current US$ customs values for the selected HS-4 product group. The latest year is FY25–26.
● Imports
● Exports
The products inside the headline total
Import value, export offset and the economic role of each large line. Coverage is exports divided by imports for the same HS-4 code.
Compound and mixed fertilisers
HS 3105 · Agricultural input
$7.0bn
$0.0bn
0.4%
A large, almost entirely import-led input into Indian farm productivity.
Precious-metal compounds
HS 2843 · Advanced input
$5.6bn
$0.0bn
0.6%
Specialised compounds used across catalysts, electronics and industrial applications have little direct export offset.
Nitrogenous fertilisers
HS 3102 · Agricultural input
$5.6bn
$0.0bn
0.5%
Domestic agriculture creates a structurally large import requirement with minimal merchandise exports.
Cyclic hydrocarbons
HS 2902 · Basic chemical
$2.8bn
$1.4bn
51.4%
A major petrochemical feedstock where exports recover roughly half of import value.
Nitrogen heterocyclic compounds
HS 2933 · High-value intermediate
$2.3bn
$4.4bn
185.8%
Exports exceed imports, reflecting strength in complex intermediates used by pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals.
Medicaments in measured doses
HS 3004 · Export engine
$1.6bn
$21.9bn
1342.1%
Finished medicines are the basket’s largest export line and generate a substantial trade surplus.
From imported input to Indian market
The same import total can support domestic consumption, processing, manufacturing or exports. This flow shows where value can be added.
01
Feedstocks
Minerals, hydrocarbons, gases and biological materials
02
Basic chemistry
Acids, alkalis, fertilisers and commodity intermediates
03
Specialty conversion
Active ingredients, dyes, coatings and crop protection
04
End markets
Medicines, agriculture and inputs for Indian manufacturing
Where the chapter-level imports come from
Share of HS28–38 imports among the major partners available in the local partner dataset. This is a directional chapter proxy, not an exact supplier split for the selected HS-4 basket.
Observed major-partner share · HS28–38 proxy
CHINA
42.9%
SAUDI ARAB
11.7%
U ARAB EMTS
9.1%
RUSSIA
8.7%
JAPAN
8.4%
U S A
8.1%
KOREA
3.3%
SINGAPORE
3.1%
Scale and value creation in India
Official production statistics cover selected medium and large chemical and petrochemical units, so they describe industrial scale rather than the entire HS28–38 trade basket.
8.1%
58.6 MMT
83.8%
11.41 lakh
Sources & method
Trade values are current US$ millions from India’s Ministry of Commerce TradeStat HS-4 world tables. Sector totals sum the listed HS-4 codes; they are analytical baskets rather than a claim that every code in the wider HS chapter belongs to the sector. Partner shares use HS28–38 chapter data for the major countries captured locally, so they are labelled as a proxy.