Toxic air pollution boosts sales of respiratory drugs in India

India Nov 26, 2025

Air pollution in Delhi and other cities has gotten so bad this October that sales of inhalers and anti-asthma meds have shot up.
Pharmarack says respiratory drug sales jumped 14.7%—way faster than the rest of the pharma market—because winter smog is making it harder for people to breathe.

What's driving the surge?

The respiratory drug segment hit ₹1,789 crore, making up over 8% of all pharma sales, mainly thanks to rising cases of chronic lung issues like COPD during this polluted season.
Cipla especially benefited, grabbing a bigger slice of the market as more people reached for its anti-asthma and COPD products after Diwali's pollution spike.