Sector playbook
Pharmaceuticals exporters: the four things you are leaving on the table.
Formulations exporters operate on tight RoDTEP windows. Several HS-8 codes under 3004 were paused, restored, and re-paused within FY 2024-25. The cost of misreading a single trade notice can be Rs 4-8 lakh per quarter for a Rs 50 crore pharma exporter.
- Sector export value, FY 24-25
- Rs 2.07 lakh crore (FY 2024-25)
- Avg RoDTEP rate
- 1.8%
- RoSCTL stacking
- Not applicable
- HS chapters covered
- 30
Top 11 HS codes in this sector
Sorted by RoDTEP rate. Click through for the detailed page on each code.
| HS code | Description | RoDTEP | Drawback | GST refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300490 | Other medicaments in measured doses or retail packs | 1.90% | 0.90% | 0.5% |
| 294150 | Erythromycin and its derivatives | 1.80% | 0.85% | 0.5% |
| 300420 | Medicaments containing other antibiotics, in dosage form | 1.80% | 0.85% | 0.5% |
| 300410 | Medicaments containing penicillins/streptomycins, in dosage form | 1.70% | 0.80% | 0.5% |
| 300439 | Other medicaments containing hormones | 1.70% | 0.80% | 0.5% |
| 300120 | Extracts of glands or other organs | 1.60% | 0.75% | 0.5% |
| 300432 | Medicaments containing corticosteroid hormones | 1.60% | 0.75% | 0.5% |
| 293749 | Other steroidal hormones, n.e.s. | 1.50% | 0.70% | 0.5% |
| 300321 | Medicaments containing hormones, not in dosage form | 1.50% | 0.70% | 0.5% |
| 300431 | Medicaments containing insulin | 1.50% | 0.70% | 0.5% |
| 300210 | Antisera, vaccines for human use | 1.40% | 0.65% | 0.5% |
Quirks of this sector that cost exporters money
- 01Pharmexcil RCMC mandatory for nearly all chapter 30 scheme claims.
- 02Bulk drugs (Ch 29) and formulations (Ch 30) follow different scheme matrices.
- 03FDA-approved facility certifications occasionally required to defend RoDTEP rate at audit.
- 04PLI Pharma can run in parallel with RoDTEP and Drawback. Few exporters claim all three.
- 05Cold-chain certifications for biologics need to attach to the consignment file at scrip generation.
Schemes that apply
Three illustrative cases from this sector
Names redacted at customer request. Recovery numbers from FY 2024-25 audits.
Rs 28,40,000 annual
Hyderabad formulations, 142 cr turnover
HS 300490 amendments in Q2 FY 2024-25 had changed eligibility for certain CAS numbers. The firm continued claiming at the old rate, triggering scrip clawback risk.
Rs 16,20,000 annual
Ahmedabad APIs, 76 cr turnover
Chapter 29 vs chapter 30 confusion was distorting the scheme stack. Bulk drugs and formulations follow different matrices.
Rs 6,70,000 annual
Mumbai exporter to Africa, 38 cr turnover
Pharmexcil RCMC validation had lapsed mid-FY, blocking RoDTEP scrips for 47 bills. Renewal plus retrospective re-application recovered the queue.
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