Prices of essential medicines to increase from April 1

Prices of essential medicines such as painkillers, antibiotics and anti-infectives will see a modest increase from April 1. In line with the annual change in the Wholesale Price Index, the government has allowed a 0.6 per cent increase in prices of drugs under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). "Based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) data provided by the office of the Economic Advisor, Department of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the annual change in WPI works out as (+)0.64956 per cent during the calendar year 2025 over the corresponding period in 2024," said the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)
The list of essential medicines includes drugs like paracetamol, antibiotics such as azithromycin used to treat bacterial infections, anti-anaemia medicines, vitamins and minerals. Some drugs used for treating moderately to severely-ill Covid-19 patients and steroids are also on the list. The marginal increase comes at a time when spiralling input costs due to the Iran war have severely squeezed sector margins, said a pharma industry executive.The NPPA carries out price revisions on a regular basis as part of its mandate under the Drugs Price Control Order, aiming to balance affordability for consumers with sustainability for manufacturers. The NLEM framework ensures that critical medicines remain accessible while allowing for market-linked price adjustments.