Nifty Pharma Underperforms In 2025, Highlighting Stock-Picker's Market

This year wasn’t kind to the Nifty Pharma index, which slipped nearly 3% as US pricing pressure, regulatory worries and trade jitters kept the sector on edge. But beneath the gloom, a few pharma stocks quietly played hero, delivering double-digit gains and rewarding investors who dared to look beyond the index.

With most big names failing to impress, the year turned into a classic stock-picker’s game, proof that even in a dull market, the right pills can still cure portfolios.

• Laurus Labs: 70%

• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals: 23%

• Torrent Pharmaceuticals: 11%

• Sai Life sciences: 21%

• Neuland Labs: 11.7%

• Divis Laboratories: 6.3%

Laurus Labs delivered a strong second quarter performance, beating estimates across all metrics. The company guided its ARV business to reach Rs 2,500 crore for fiscal 2026, while continuing to invest in animal health and crop science CDMO capabilities. Adding to the momentum, Laurus reported robust export data in November 2025, reinforcing its growth outlook.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals secured major licensing deals during the year and signaled a return to a high-growth trajectory. The company also reported strong export data in November 2025.

Torrent Pharmaceuticals stood out for its limited exposure to US generic pricing pressure, which shielded it from one of the sector’s biggest headwinds. The company maintained consistent earnings delivery and demonstrated strong margin stability.

Sai Life Sciences delivered a strong CDMO performance in the second quarter. The company also deepened its capabilities by investing in complex peptide synthesis and antibody-drug conjugates.

Neuland Labs posted a strong all-round beat in quarter ended September, with Ebitda hitting an all-time high. The company’s superior product mix drove profitability, and it also had a robust export data in November 2025.

Nifty Pharma was down due to a couple of reasons including, persistent US generic pricing pressure. Global tariff and trade uncertainty which ultimately hurt export visibility. Another key reason was earnings disappointment in index heavyweights and also regulatory overhang capped valuation re-rating