Pharmaceutical retail volume growth crossing 3% in June — the first positive milestone in 24 months — signals a structural shift to demand-led growth, according to market research firm Pharmarack, which directly impacts logistics service providers handling pharma shipments across India.
Volume Growth Details
After hovering at around 1–2% during the first five months of the year, volume growth crossed 3% in June, according to Pharmarack. The domestic pharmaceutical retail market, valued at over Rs 2.5 lakh crore, is now expected to grow by over 11% this year, up from an earlier estimate of 8–9%, said Sheetal Sapale, vice president at Pharmarack. Last year, the market posted 8% growth. For much of 2024 and 2025, volume growth remained in negative territory before turning positive this year.
Therapy Trends Driving Demand
According to Pharmarack data, the June growth was led by higher sales of lipid-lowering and cardiac therapies, reflecting faster diagnosis and treatment of heart-related ailments. The following therapies showed marked improvement compared with six months ago:
- Cardiac-metabolic
- Nutritionals
- Pain management
- Dermatology
- Gynaecology
"The trend typically points to more patients being brought for treatment and stronger uptake of existing therapies, rather than growth being driven largely by price increases and new medicine launches." — Sheetal Sapale, VP, Pharmarack
Anti-neoplastics (anti-cancer) and vaccines stood out with double-digit growth in both value and unit sales, indicating strong underlying demand. Chronic therapies continued to outpace the overall market, driven mainly by the prevalence of lifestyle diseases.
Implications for Pharma Logistics
The sustained volume growth across multiple therapy categories means increased frequency and volume of pharmaceutical shipments across India. Logistics providers serving the pharma sector should expect higher demand for:
- Temperature-controlled transport (implied by vaccine and biologic growth)
- Warehousing capacity for chronic and cardiac medicines
- Last-mile delivery to retail pharmacies and hospitals
Freight forwarders and 3PL operators can anticipate a need to review capacity allocations, especially for high-value oncology products and vaccines that require specialized handling. The organized pharma retail market posted over 13% value growth, led by all therapies, suggesting that the shift is broad-based rather than confined to a few segments.
Market Summary Table
| Therapy Category | Growth Trend | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiac (lipid-lowering) | High volume growth | Faster diagnosis, lifestyle diseases |
| Anti-neoplastics & Vaccines | Double-digit value and unit growth | Strong underlying demand |
| Chronic therapies | Outpacing market | Prevalence of lifestyle diseases |
| Cardiac-metabolic, Nutritionals, Pain, Derma, Gynae | Marked improvement vs 6 months ago | Expanded patient base |
Watch List
- Monthly volume trend: Monitor whether the June 3% growth sustains in Q3 2026.
- New therapy launches: Any new drug introductions could further boost volumes.
- Supply chain capacity: Check for bottlenecks in cold chain and last-mile delivery as demand escalates.
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