India’s dependence on imported APIs

• API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) = the biologically active component of a drug; India, the "Pharmacy of the World" in formulations, is paradoxically a net importer of APIs/bulk drugs.
• In FY 2024-25, India imported 200 categories of APIs/bulk drugs/drug intermediates worth ~USD 4.35 billion, with China supplying ~73.7% — a strategic vulnerability for health security and trade.
• Relevant for GS-II (Health, Govt schemes) and GS-III (Economy, Industrial policy, Supply-chain security).