A mood of uncertainty hangs over India’s pharmaceutical sector as US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats have unsettled investors and policymakers alike.
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But behind closed doors, a tentative deal on digital trade and quiet backchannel negotiations are giving hope to markets and manufacturers in both of the world’s most populous democracies.
“There appears to be recognition that the US needs to lower the rhetoric,” said foreign policy analyst Vivek Mishra, deputy director of the Observer Research Foundation think tank’s strategic studies programme.
“With him, you never know because in one instance he may embrace you and on the other throw you away.”
Trump’s announcement late last month of a 100 per cent tariff on imported branded and patented pharmaceuticals rattled Indian markets, triggering a sharp decline in pharmaceutical stocks.
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