|
 In order to tap the emerging business opportunities in Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) with the support of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is organizing IPHEX-CIS (Business Delegation to Belarus, Russia, Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan) between March 16 and 28, 2026.
The business delegation bears a lot of significance considering the nature of CIS region falling into the focus area for pharmaceutical exports from India and the potential for generics and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
The CIS region is a significant, growing market for Indian pharma exports, driven by demand for affordable generics and branded generics, with Russia being the dominant player, followed by Ukraine and Central Asian nations like Kazakhstan, exporting antibiotics, formulations, and vaccines.
The business delegation is scheduled to visit Belarus (Minsk), Russia (Moscow), Uzbekistan (Tashkent) and Kazakhstan (Almaty). The delegation is also expected to host buyers from Kyrgyzstan during the buyer- seller meet (BSM) in Kazakhstan.
As part of the business delegation, BSMs will be organized at each country along with meetings with the regulatory officials and prominent trade associations.
Pharmexcil is also proposing to invite business delegates from neighbouring countries as well for B2B meetings with Indian delegation. Participation fee is Rs. 1 lakh for BSM in all four countries and includes BSM set up at all destinations. Participation in any three countries is mandatory and fee remains same for three/four countries. Each additional delegate joining from the same company is required to pay Rs. 40,000. Deadline for registration and final payment is January 14, 2026.
“The proposal for the CIS Delegation under the Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme has been submitted and approval is awaited from the Ministry. Participation in any three destinations is mandatory to be eligible for claiming MAI assistance based on the approval from the Department of Commerce (DoC). While the countries are confirmed, the cities or specific locations may be subject to change or modification based on advice received from our Indian Embassies/Missions, due to unavoidable circumstances,” informs K Raja Bhanu, director general (DG), Pharmexcil.
MAI Scheme in pharma is an Indian government export promotion program, run by the ministry of commerce & industry, that supports pharmaceutical exporters with financial assistance for activities like market research, brand promotion, trade fairs, and product registration in foreign markets. This is being done using a focus product-country approach to boost Indian exports, especially from MSMEs, Ayush, and specific regions like the Northeast. Pharmexcil guides members on these guidelines, including timeframes for submitting claims for statutory compliance and other marketing efforts.
|