The freight division of Qatar Airways is planning to expand operations in India which currently contributes nearly a tenth of its global revenue, said a top executive.
Revenues are expected to grow further by 9-12% in the coming fiscal year driven by rising demand for perishables, pharmaceuticals, and high-value goods, Mark Drusch, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways, said. He did not elaborate.
He however said restrictive bilateral agreements limiting passenger belly cargo and potential US tariffs on Indian pharma exports could pose hurdles to the expansion plans.
Qatar Airways Cargo ships about 2,700 tonnes of cargo weekly to and from India, operating nearly 100 flights a week alongside additional belly cargo on passenger flights. “In August and September, I restructured our network, and we increased our capacity into India by almost 20%,” said Drusch.
Despite the expansion, regulatory barriers remain a challenge. India’s bilateral air service pacts currently restrict Qatar Airways from freely expanding passenger operations, limit availability of belly cargo space.
“Because the bilateral with India is particularly restrictive, we don’t have the ability to grow the passenger bellies as much as we would like to,” Drusch said.
Pharmaceuticals comprise 15% of Qatar Airways’ India cargo volume, while perishables such as fruits and vegetables make up 70%. The segment could face headwinds if the US imposes tariffs on Indian pharma exports, according to Drusch.
In February 2025, US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on pharmaceutical imports, aiming to encourage domestic manufacturing. According to reports , nearly half of all generic medicines taken in the US come from India alone.
“Pharma is a significant portion. It’s not the majority, but it’s still an important portion of the volume and revenue that goes back and forth,” he said.