India imported APIs worth Rs 18,372.54 crore in 2016-17

New Delhi: India imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) worth Rs 18,372.54 crore in 2016-17, of which the maximum was from China, Parliament was informed.

APIs estimated to be worth Rs 12,254.97 crore were imported from China followed by the US at Rs 820.18 crore and Italy at Rs 701.85 crore in 2016-17, the Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in the Lok Sabha.

APIs worth Rs 485.11 crore were imported from Germany while APIs Rs 422.01 were imported from Singapore.

API is the term used to refer to the biologically active component of a drug product.

In 2015-16, the country imported APIs worth Rs 21,225.97 crore with ingredients worth Rs 13,853 being imported from China, followed by Germany at Rs 1054.71 crore and the US at Rs 980.38 crore.