Dr Reddy’s pharmaceutical brand exporting to oil-rich territories in region
Published:Sunday | February 8, 2026 | 12:12 AMLuke Douglas - Staff Reporter
Indian pharmaceutical brand Dr Reddy’s Laboratories shipped its first batch of exports from Jamaica to Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana valued at some US$300,000 - about J$50 million.
The shipment marks a step towards positioning Jamaica as a regional pharmaceutical hub. The India-based company established a Jamaican subsidiary in 2024, and last May, signed a letter of intent with the Goverment marketing arm JAMPRO to develop Jamaica as a regional pharmaceutical distribution and export hub. The company has leased an 8,800-square-foot bonded warehouse at the T. Geddes Grant facility on Marcus Garvey Drive with capacity for an estimated 270-300 pallets.
“We achieved double-digit growth across our businesses, driven by successful product launches, increased revenues from key products in the US and the integration of the acquired NRT [nicotine replacement therapy] business,” said Co-Chairman and Managing Director GV Prasad. “We will continue to strengthen and grow our core businesses through portfolio management and operational excellence, while pursuing strategic partnerships and inorganic growth opportunities.”
Senator Aubyn Hill, Jamaica’s minister of industry, investment and commerce, welcomed the shipment, indicating that it would benefit the region’s faster-growing economies. Guyana continues to top the world with growth rates of 16 per cent forecast for 2026, down from 20 per cent in 2025. It follows major offshore oil discoveries.
“Guyana is a place that we have to look to, to increase our trade with. So I’m very glad Doctor Reddy’s first export is to Guyana,” Hill said at a ceremony marking the shipment at the company’s Kingston facility in the week.
Guyana recently became the wealthiest independent nation in the region, on a per capita basis, surging to US$30,100 in 2024 from some US$7,000 in 2020, according to United Nations data, while Trinidad and Tobago’s stands at roughly US$16,650, compared with Jamaica’s $7,800.
Guyana’s economy was transformed after the 2015 discovery of an offshore oil field about 120 miles from the capital Georgetown. The country made its first commercial-grade crude draw in December 2019.
The Dr Reddy’s export comes as Jamaica’s trade balance deteriorates. In the first nine months of 2025, imports rose 5.0 per cent to J$907 billion while exports fell 5.0 per cent to J$196 billion. The nation continues to grapple with back-to-back hurricanes Beryl and Melissa in 2024 and 2025.
Founded in 1985 by scientist and philanthropist Dr Kallam Anji Reddy, Dr Reddy’s produces over 190 medications and 60 active pharmaceutical ingredients for drug manufacture, along with diagnostic kits, critical-care products, and biotechnology items. It ranks among the world’s largest generic drug manufacturers with significant presence in North America, Russia, and Europe.