The percentage share in total exports from India for Dyes/Intermediaries and Coal tar chemicals during 2000-2001 was 1.6% (an increase of 25%) in US$. India's share in the total world exports of Organic chemicals during 1998 was 0.9%, of inorganic chemicals was 0.4%, and of dyeing, tanning and coloring materials was 1.3%. The chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industry in India is one of the fastest growing segments of the industrial sector with an annual growth rate of 12.5% per year for the last 10 years. It accounts for 12.5% of India's industrial production and 16.2% of the country's exports of manufactured goods. This rate of growth has been consistently high as the country has one of the largest resources of scientific and technical manpower in the world with the capacity to absorb, upgrade and develop high technology. India also has excellent engineering and project management skills.

Exports of chemicals and chemical products from India during 1999-2000 stood at US$ 3810 Million, an increase of 11.33% since 1998-99. Highly heterogeneous, the chemical industry in India encompasses many sectors like organic, inorganic chemicals, dyestuffs, paints, pesticides, specialty chemicals, etc. Some of its more prominent individual chemical industries are caustic soda, soda ash, carbon black, phenol, acetic acid, methanol and azo dyes. Broadly, the chemical industry in India is classified into polymerization products, basic chemicals, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. It accounts for more than 10% of the country's total export earnings.