Pharmaceutical exports  continue to register steady growth especially to regulated and emerging markets despite the current financial crisis in most of these economies. A Pharmabiz study of 25 top listed pharma companies with exports above Rs. 300 crore shows that they clocked a total export revenue of Rs. 47,446 crore during the year ended March 2011 as compared to Rs. 41,355 crore in the previous year, showing  a growth of 14.7 per cent.

These companies have set up strong marketing and manufacturing networks in the US, Europe, Japan and also in emerging markets by way of acquisitions, tie-ups  investments in subsidiaries or joint ventures.

The  study shows that the contribution of international revenue in consolidated net revenue improved to 64 per cent from 63.2 per cent in the last year despite challenging  conditions there. The consolidated net sales, including domestic and international markets, of 25 leading companies touched Rs. 74,195 crore during the year ended March 2011 as against Rs. 65,469 crore in the previous year. These 25 companies are controlling large market share of Indian pharmaceutical segment.

Besides these listed 25 major companies, there are several unlisted companies like Matrix Laboratories,  Intas Pharma, Alkem Laboratories, Actis Biological, Mankind, Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Micro Labs, Serum Institute, Advinius, Unimark, Paras Pharmaceutical etc,  which are also contributing significantly to export earnings. For instance, Matrix Laboratories, now subsidiary of Mylan Inc.,  has notched up international revenues of Rs. 2,608 crore during 2010-11 as compared to Rs. 2267.67 crore in the previous year, which worked out to almost 81 per cent of its consolidated net sales of Rs. 3,219 crore.

Ranbaxy Laboratories, a subsidiary of Daiichi Sankyo of Japan, has successfully clinched the top spot with international sales of Rs. 6,772 crore during the year 2010-11 as compared to Rs. 5,657 crore in the preceding year. Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) went down to second rank as its international sales increased only by 4.3 per cent to Rs. 5,941 crore from Rs. 5,696 crore in the previous year. Lupin registered a strong growth of 20.3 per cent and grabbed the third spot with international sales of Rs. 3,983 crore.   Cipla and Sun Pharmaceutical climbed to fourth and fifth ranks respectively with international sales of Rs. 3,361 crore and Rs. 2,898 crore during 2010-11. Wockhardt, which was at third place in 2009-10, lost heavily and went down to seventh  rank with sharp declines in international sales by over 19 per cent to Rs. 2,710 crore as against Rs. 3,360 crore in the previous year.

Panacea Biotec  recorded highest growth in international sales of 94 per cent to Rs. 610 crore from Rs. 315 crore in 2009-10. This was followed by Cadila Healthcare with a growth of 91.5 per cent to Rs. 2,289 crore in 2010-11 from Rs. 1,195 crore. Sun Pharmaceutical achieved a significant growth of 41.5 per cent and Neuland Laboratories also had a growth of 41.2 per cent in international sales. Other major growth drivers were Stride Arcolab (growth of 36.6 per cent), Divi's Laboratories (36.3 per cent), and Ind-Swift Laboratories (36.2 per cent). Lupin, IPCA Laboratories, Plethico Pharmaceutical and Glenmark Pharmaceutical notched up a growth of over 20 per cent in international sales. However,  Wockhardt, Orchid Chemicals, Jubilant Lifesciences, Aurobindo Pharma and Dishman Pharmaceutical had  dismal performance with  low international sales.

The international revenues as percentage of consolidated net sales of several companies from the Pharmabiz sample of 25 companies were over 75 per cent during 2010-11. The international revenues  as a percentage of consolidated net sales of Ranbaxy, DRL, Biocon, Stride Arcolab, Shasun Chemicals, Plethico Pharma, Divi's Laboratories and Neuland Laboratories worked out to more than 75 per cent. Stride Arcolabs' international revenues as percentage of net sales reached at 96.6 per cent in 2010-11 as compared to 91.9 per cent in the last year. Its consolidated net sales jumped by 30 per cent to Rs. 1,696 crore from Rs. 1,305 crore and it recorded international revenues of Rs. 1,638 crore. Out of 25 companies, 21 companies recorded the percentage of over 50 per cent in respect of contribution of international revenues in consolidated net sales.