Markets
Nifty Pharma
Nifty Pharma is an NSE sector index of 20 stocks. Since 2001 it has compounded 14.4% a year with dividends reinvested; over the past year it rose 17.5%. Its deepest fall was 52%, from Apr 2015 to Mar 2020, and it took 5.8 years from that high to a new one.
Written for anyone who holds, tracks or is thinking of buying Nifty Pharma. Data to 14 Oct 2026.
- Trend
- Uptrend since Apr 2026
- Momentum
- 14th of 133 markets, by rank
- Below its high
- 5.3% total return
- P/E
- 39.8 96th percentile since 2021
- 1 year
- +17.5% total return
- 5 years
- 12.6% a year
- 10 years
- 9.3% a year
- Since 2001
- 14.4% a year
- Volatility
- 13.9% past year; usual 18%
NSE launched Nifty Pharma in Jul 2005. Figures before that use NSE's back-calculated history: today's rules applied to the past, chosen with that past in view. Charts mark the launch.
Returns
Total return counts dividends reinvested; price return does not. Since 2001, dividends added about 1.0 percentage points a year. Returns over more than a year are a year, compounded.
Nifty Pharma: growth of 100
Weekly, from Jan 2001, log scale: equal slopes are equal rates of growth. Drag the range below the chart to start anywhere; both lines restart at 100.
How to read it. The gap between the two lines is what dividends were worth. It widens slowly and never closes.
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To 14 Oct 2026. Before any fund cost or tax.
| Period | Total return | Price return | Dividends added | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −3.0% | −3.0% | 0.0 pts | |
| 3 months | −0.5% | −0.7% | +0.1 pts | |
| 6 months | +16.9% | +16.5% | +0.4 pts | |
| This year | +13.9% | +13.3% | +0.7 pts | |
| 1 year | +17.5% | +16.8% | +0.7 pts | |
| 3 years, a year | +19.9% | +19.1% | +0.8 pts | |
| 5 years, a year | +12.6% | +11.8% | +0.8 pts | |
| 10 years, a year | +9.3% | +8.5% | +0.8 pts | |
| 15 years, a year | +13.0% | +12.3% | +0.7 pts | |
| 20 years, a year | +12.9% | +12.0% | +0.9 pts | |
| Since Jan 2001, a year | +14.4% | +13.4% | +1.0 pts |
Year by year
16 of the 24 full calendar years since 2002 ended higher. 20 of them had a fall of 10% or more from a peak somewhere inside the year, so even good years are rarely smooth.
Nifty Pharma: each calendar year
The worst fall is the largest drop from a peak within the year, with the previous year-end as the first peak (the convention of J.P. Morgan's Guide to the Markets). Total return, %.
| Year | Total return | Price return | Dividends | Worst fall in the year | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 so far | +13.9% | +13.3% | +0.7 pts | −7.5% | |
| 2025 | −2.3% | −2.9% | +0.7 pts | −15.7% | |
| 2024 | +40.0% | +39.1% | +0.9 pts | −9.4% | |
| 2023 | +34.8% | +33.6% | +1.1 pts | −8.9% | |
| 2022 | −10.7% | −11.4% | +0.7 pts | −16.8% | |
| 2021 | +10.9% | +10.1% | +0.8 pts | −13.9% | |
| 2020 | +61.8% | +60.6% | +1.1 pts | −23.3% | |
| 2019 | −8.7% | −9.3% | +0.7 pts | −23.9% | |
| 2018 | −7.3% | −7.8% | +0.5 pts | −19.9% | |
| 2017 | −5.7% | −6.3% | +0.6 pts | −20.6% | |
| 2016 | −13.8% | −14.2% | +0.4 pts | −17.1% | |
| 2015 | +9.7% | +9.3% | +0.5 pts | −18.2% | |
| 2014 | +44.4% | +43.4% | +1.0 pts | −10.4% | |
| 2013 | +27.3% | +26.5% | +0.8 pts | −10.9% | |
| 2012 | +32.9% | +31.9% | +1.1 pts | −5.4% | |
| 2011 | −9.0% | −10.0% | +1.0 pts | −16.9% | |
| 2010 | +36.3% | +35.3% | +1.0 pts | −10.0% | |
| 2009 | +60.9% | +59.1% | +1.8 pts | −17.3% | |
| 2008 | −24.9% | −25.6% | +0.7 pts | −39.3% | |
| 2007 | +16.1% | +14.6% | +1.5 pts | −15.3% | |
| 2006 | +26.5% | +25.0% | +1.5 pts | −30.6% | |
| 2005 | +2.2% | +0.9% | +1.3 pts | −19.6% | |
| 2004 | +18.6% | +17.1% | +1.5 pts | −19.6% | |
| 2003 | +86.1% | +83.3% | +2.8 pts | −11.3% | |
| 2002 | +6.4% | +5.1% | +1.3 pts | −20.0% |
The falls
Every fall of 10% or more from a high, deepest first. The worst, 52%, took 5.0 years to reach bottom and 10 months more to climb back. Today it is 5.3% below its high.
Nifty Pharma: how far below its previous high
Weekly, the week's lowest close against the highest close before it, total return, %.
How to read it. Zero is a new high. The depth of each dip is what a holder sat through; its width is how long getting back took.
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Total return, closing prices. A fall ends when the index closes at or above the high it fell from. Calendar time.
| Fall | From the high of | To the low of | Falling for | Recovering for | Back at the high | High to high |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −52.0% | 8 Apr 2015 | 23 Mar 2020 | 5.0 years | 10 months | 11 Jan 2021 | 5.8 years |
| −43.8% | 17 Jun 2008 | 9 Mar 2009 | 9 months | 8 months | 11 Nov 2009 | 17 months |
| −30.6% | 5 Apr 2006 | 14 Jun 2006 | 2 months | 17 months | 14 Nov 2007 | 19 months |
| −27.5% | 12 Feb 2001 | 16 Apr 2001 | 2 months | 9 months | 14 Jan 2002 | 11 months |
| −21.5% | 2 Jan 2008 | 24 Jan 2008 | 22 days | 3 months | 22 Apr 2008 | 4 months |
| −20.8% | 4 Oct 2021 | 13 Mar 2023 | 17 months | 4 months | 27 Jul 2023 | 22 months |
| −20.0% | 8 Apr 2002 | 7 Nov 2002 | 7 months | 7 months | 16 Jun 2003 | 14 months |
| −19.6% | 2 Jan 2004 | 23 Jun 2004 | 6 months | 3 months | 4 Oct 2004 | 9 months |
| −19.6% | 3 Jan 2005 | 18 Apr 2005 | 3 months | 4 months | 12 Aug 2005 | 7 months |
| −16.9% | 5 Jan 2011 | 24 Feb 2011 | 50 days | 14 months | 13 Apr 2012 | 15 months |
What holding it was like
From every day in its history, what holding Nifty Pharma for a fixed span would have returned a year. Over five years the middle outcome was 15.0% a year; the worst −12.1% and the best 33.6%; 7% of five-year spans lost money.
Total return a year, %, over every span of that length starting on any session. Spans overlap, so 'separate spans' is how many non-overlapping ones the history holds: the longer the span, the fewer truly independent readings behind each figure.
| Held for | Worst | 1 in 10 worse than | Middle | 1 in 10 better than | Best | Spans that lost | Separate spans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | −33.1% | −11.7% | +14.6% | +52.9% | +95.8% | 28% | 25.8 |
| 3 years | −14.6% | −5.6% | +17.4% | +30.4% | +46.8% | 13% | 8.6 |
| 5 years | −12.1% | +3.5% | +15.0% | +25.9% | +33.6% | 7% | 5.2 |
| 7 years | −0.3% | +4.5% | +14.7% | +22.5% | +30.8% | 0% | 3.7 |
| 10 years | +4.5% | +7.8% | +13.0% | +20.4% | +23.6% | 0% | 2.6 |
Rolling returns, a year
Weekly: the return a year over the 3 and 5 years to each date, total return, %.
How to read it. Each point is what someone who bought 3 or 5 years earlier had earned a year by then. The lows mark the worst times to have bought.
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₹10,000 on the first session of every month into the index itself, from January of each year to 14 Oct 2026. Before any fund cost or tax; an index fund would have returned a little less. Of SIPs that ran five years or more, the weakest started in 2013 (+12.0% a year).
| Started in January | Months | Put in | Worth now | Multiple | Return a year (XIRR) | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | ₹2,20,000 | ₹2,50,736 | 1.14× | +15.1% | |
| 2024 | 34 | ₹3,40,000 | ₹4,06,964 | 1.20× | +13.2% | |
| 2023 | 46 | ₹4,60,000 | ₹6,40,880 | 1.39× | +17.9% | |
| 2022 | 58 | ₹5,80,000 | ₹8,84,838 | 1.53× | +17.9% | |
| 2021 | 70 | ₹7,00,000 | ₹11,23,211 | 1.60× | +16.4% | |
| 2020 | 82 | ₹8,20,000 | ₹14,65,105 | 1.79× | +16.9% | |
| 2019 | 94 | ₹9,40,000 | ₹18,52,111 | 1.97× | +17.1% | |
| 2018 | 106 | ₹10,60,000 | ₹22,08,370 | 2.08× | +16.2% | |
| 2017 | 118 | ₹11,80,000 | ₹25,47,987 | 2.16× | +15.1% | |
| 2016 | 130 | ₹13,00,000 | ₹28,39,059 | 2.18× | +13.8% | |
| 2015 | 142 | ₹14,20,000 | ₹31,10,992 | 2.19× | +12.6% | |
| 2014 | 154 | ₹15,40,000 | ₹34,92,366 | 2.27× | +12.1% | |
| 2013 | 166 | ₹16,60,000 | ₹39,99,226 | 2.41× | +12.0% | |
| 2012 | 178 | ₹17,80,000 | ₹46,49,928 | 2.61× | +12.1% | |
| 2011 | 190 | ₹19,00,000 | ₹53,79,536 | 2.83× | +12.2% | |
| 2010 | 202 | ₹20,20,000 | ₹62,13,235 | 3.08× | +12.2% | |
| 2009 | 214 | ₹21,40,000 | ₹75,57,584 | 3.53× | +12.8% | |
| 2008 | 226 | ₹22,60,000 | ₹87,67,792 | 3.88× | +13.0% | |
| 2007 | 238 | ₹23,80,000 | ₹1,00,66,523 | 4.23× | +13.0% | |
| 2006 | 250 | ₹25,00,000 | ₹1,14,97,851 | 4.60× | +13.0% | |
| 2005 | 262 | ₹26,20,000 | ₹1,33,00,310 | 5.08× | +13.1% | |
| 2004 | 274 | ₹27,40,000 | ₹1,53,97,575 | 5.62× | +13.2% | |
| 2003 | 286 | ₹28,60,000 | ₹1,85,41,792 | 6.48× | +13.6% | |
| 2002 | 298 | ₹29,80,000 | ₹2,22,86,937 | 7.48× | +13.9% | |
| 2001 | 310 | ₹31,00,000 | ₹2,64,75,081 | 8.54× | +14.1% |
How bumpy
Volatility is how widely daily returns swing, scaled to a year. Over the past year it was 13.9%, against a usual 18.0% for this index. 58% of months ended higher, and 173 days moved 3% or more either way.
Nifty Pharma: volatility over the past year
Weekly: standard deviation of daily total returns over the past 252 sessions, annualised, %.
How to read it. Spikes come with sell-offs; calm stretches come with rising markets. High readings rarely last.
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| Worst days | Return |
|---|---|
| 12 Mar 2020 | −8.9% |
| 24 Oct 2008 | −8.3% |
| 17 May 2004 | −8.2% |
| 19 May 2009 | −7.9% |
| 21 Jan 2008 | −7.5% |
| Best days | Return |
|---|---|
| 18 May 2009 | +11.8% |
| 7 Apr 2020 | +10.4% |
| 14 Oct 2008 | +6.0% |
| 18 May 2004 | +5.8% |
| 25 Jan 2008 | +5.7% |
| Worst months | Return |
|---|---|
| Oct 2008 | −24.4% |
| Jan 2008 | −16.2% |
| Sept 2008 | −13.0% |
| May 2006 | −12.8% |
| Nov 2015 | −12.7% |
| Best months | Return |
|---|---|
| Apr 2020 | +30.0% |
| Aug 2003 | +16.7% |
| Jun 2003 | +16.5% |
| Sept 2009 | +13.8% |
| Dec 2007 | +13.4% |
Valuation
NSE's own price-to-earnings, price-to-book and dividend yield, at each month-end since Jul 2005. Today's P/E of 39.8 is near the top of its range since NSE moved to consolidated earnings in March 2021. Price to book, 4.85, is in the middle of its range over the full history.
Price to earnings
Month-ends, as NSE publishes them.
How to read it. Higher is dearer. Before March 2021 NSE used standalone earnings, so readings on either side of the line are not strictly comparable.
Price to earnings. Line chart, Jul 2005 to Oct 2026. Price to earnings: latest 39.8×, range 17.3× to 77.0×.
Price to book
Month-ends, as NSE publishes them.
How to read it. Higher is dearer. Book value has no accounting break, so the whole history compares.
Price to book. Line chart, Jul 2005 to Oct 2026. Price to book: latest 4.85×, range 2.74× to 9.49×.
Today is 14 Oct 2026; the history is month-ends. A percentile is the share of month-ends at or below today's reading: 90 means dearer than nine months in ten (for dividend yield, the reverse).
| Today | Percentile, full history | Last 10 years | Since March 2021 | Median | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price to earnings | 39.81 | 71 | 79 | 96 | 34.37 | 17.27 | 76.99 |
| Price to book | 4.85 | 37 | 60 | – | 5.17 | 2.74 | 9.49 |
| Dividend yield, % | 0.58 | 25 | 33 | – | 0.70 | 0.40 | 1.64 |
What it holds
20 stocks as NSE lists them today. The ten largest make up 78.2% of the index. It is weighted by periodic capped free float and rebalanced twice a yearly.
NSE's factsheet, 30 Sept 2026. NSE publishes the weights of the ten largest members only.
| Largest holdings | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. | 19.51% |
| 2 | Divi's Laboratories Ltd. | 11.98% |
| 3 | Laurus Labs Ltd. | 7.82% |
| 4 | Cipla Ltd. | 7.68% |
| 5 | Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. | 7.63% |
| 6 | Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | 7.17% |
| 7 | Lupin Ltd. | 5.00% |
| 8 | Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. | 4.69% |
| 9 | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | 3.57% |
| 10 | Alkem Laboratories Ltd. | 3.16% |
NSE's constituent list for Nifty Pharma, as seen on 14 Oct 2026. NSE changes members at each rebalance.
| Member | Industry | NSE symbol | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbott India Ltd. | Healthcare | ABBOTINDIA | |
| Ajanta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | Healthcare | AJANTPHARM | |
| Alkem Laboratories Ltd. | Healthcare | ALKEM | |
| Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. | Healthcare | AUROPHARMA | |
| Biocon Ltd. | Healthcare | BIOCON | |
| Cipla Ltd. | Healthcare | CIPLA | |
| Divi's Laboratories Ltd. | Healthcare | DIVISLAB | |
| Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. | Healthcare | DRREDDY | |
| Gland Pharma Ltd. | Healthcare | GLAND | |
| Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | Healthcare | GLENMARK | |
| Ipca Laboratories Ltd. | Healthcare | IPCALAB | |
| Laurus Labs Ltd. | Healthcare | LAURUSLABS | |
| Lupin Ltd. | Healthcare | LUPIN | |
| Mankind Pharma Ltd. | Healthcare | MANKIND | |
| Piramal Pharma Ltd. | Healthcare | PPLPHARMA | |
| Sai Life Sciences Ltd. | Healthcare | SAILIFE | |
| Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. | Healthcare | SUNPHARMA | |
| Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | Healthcare | TORNTPHARM | |
| Wockhardt Ltd. | Healthcare | WOCKPHARMA | |
| Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. | Healthcare | ZYDUSLIFE |
Against the Nifty 500
How Nifty Pharma has done against the broad market it is part of. Over 26 years it beat the Nifty 500 by 0.1 percentage points a year, and was ahead in 9 of 24 calendar years.
Relative strength
Weekly: Nifty Pharma's total return divided by the Nifty 500's, 100 at the start of the range shown.
How to read it. Rising: Nifty Pharma is outrunning the Nifty 500. Falling: it is lagging. The level means nothing; the direction is the reading.
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Three-year lead or lag
Weekly: Nifty Pharma's return a year over the past three years minus the Nifty 500's, percentage points.
How to read it. Above zero, someone who bought three years earlier was ahead of the broad index; below, behind.
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Monthly total returns. Up capture: how much of the Nifty 500's gain in its rising months this index caught (100 is all of it); down capture: the same for falling months. Beta above 1 means bigger swings than the Nifty 500.
| Ahead by, a year | Up capture | Down capture | Beta | Correlation | Tracking error | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full history, from Feb 2001 | +0.1 pts | 70 | 52 | 0.57 | 0.62 | 19.2% |
| Last 5 years, from Oct 2021 | +4.6 pts | 98 | 71 | 0.71 | 0.66 | 12.6% |
Models and ETFs
No Tipsheet model uses Nifty Pharma. 1 ETFs track it. Its trend and momentum have a page of their own.
From the ETF desk. Tracking difference: what a holder buying and selling on the exchange got, minus the index's total return, over the past year. Tracking error: how much that gap wobbled week to week.
| ETF | NSE symbol | Expense ratio | Assets | Tracking difference, 1 year | Tracking error, 1 year | Daily traded value (median) | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nippon India Nifty Pharma ETF | PHARMABEES | 0.18% | ₹1,700 cr | −0.45 pts | 1.23% | ₹11.2 cr |
Data and sources
Nifty Pharma is computed and published by NSE Indices. History here starts 1 Jan 2001; NSE launched the index on 1 Jul 2005, from a base date of January 01, 2001. All returns are on NSE's total-return index unless marked as price return.
Historical index data. NSE publishes daily index values, total-return values and P/E, P/B and dividend yield for every index on niftyindices.com: historical data. Pick Nifty Pharma there to download its full series.
- Nifty Pharma on niftyindices.com: description and methodology
- NSE's monthly factsheet (PDF)
- Current constituents (CSV)
- The weekly series on this page (JSON): growth of 100, drawdown, volatility and rolling returns
Index values themselves are NSE's and are not republished here; the charts show growth of 100 and other figures computed from them.
The workings
The question
Data
Every chart has a table view, a CSV download and a link to its published JSON. Bundles are listed in data status.