Paracetamol
Paracetamol (acetaminophen), the world's most used painkiller and fever reducer; India leads API supply but its key starting material came largely from China.
Fine chemicals · Pharmaceutical · No. 94
- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- not published globally; India about 72 kt/yr output (6,000 t/month, 2020); Pharmaoffer recorded 35.9 kt of traded transactions in the 12 months to June 2026
- HS 292429
India supplied almost 40% of the world's paracetamol in 2020, yet relied on China for its key ingredient.
Chart: Illustration: Paracetamol
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Benzene becomes nitrobenzene, which is hydrogenated to para-aminophenol and then acetylated; about 0.72 kg of PAP goes into each kilo of paracetamol.
Three things to know
- A tonne of paracetamol needs about 0.8 t of nitrobenzene and 0.68 t of acetic anhydride.
- Meghmani's 13,500 t a year PAP plant, built under PLI, is India's main step away from Chinese supply.
- India held 49.4% of recorded paracetamol export transactions in the 12 months to June 2026.
The journey
- 1 BenzeneTurned into nitrobenzene or phenol
- 2 Para-aminophenolHydrogenated in acid over platinum catalyst
- 3 AcetylationReacted with acetic anhydride to paracetamol
- 4 Pure powderCrystallised to pharmacopoeia standard, drummed
- 5 MedicinesTablets, cold remedies and children's syrups