Drug Challenge in India: What the Latest Figures Say Ahead of the 2029 Target

India has set a 2029 target to intensify its fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse, with the government preparing a broader strategy that combines enforcement action with prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The scale of the challenge remains substantial. Data available with the government show that millions of people in India use various substances, while enforcement agencies continue to intercept large quantities of narcotics and synthetic drugs. The government is now seeking to strengthen coordination between central agencies, state governments and other institutions as it works towards its 2029 objective.

India's most comprehensive national survey on substance use, conducted by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre at AIIMS for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, estimated that around 2.9 crore people used cannabis and nearly 1.9 crore used opioids. The survey also estimated significant use of sedatives and inhalants. Among children and adolescents aged 10 to 17, the study found substance use across several categories, including opioids, cannabis, alcohol and inhalants.

The survey was published in 2019 and remains an important national benchmark, although its findings should not be treated as a precise measurement of India's drug-use situation in 2026. A newer nationwide prevalence survey would provide a clearer picture of how consumption patterns have changed.

Enforcement data point to a changing illegal drug market. Government figures show that narcotics worth around ₹25,330 crore were seized by agencies in 2024, compared with approximately ₹16,100 crore in 2023. The seizures included traditional drugs as well as synthetic substances. Cocaine seizures, for instance, increased from 292 kg in 2023 to 1,426 kg in 2024, while mephedrone seizures rose from 688 kg to 3,391 kg. Authorities have also reported a substantial increase in the seizure of pharmaceutical tablets being misused as psychotropic substances.

The increase in seizures, however, does not by itself prove that overall drug consumption or availability has risen. Higher seizures can also reflect stronger enforcement, improved intelligence and better detection by agencies. The other side of the challenge is treatment. Government figures indicate that the number of people seeking treatment through supported services rose from more than 2 lakh in 2020 to over 8.2 lakh in 2025. The increase reflects both the continuing need for addiction treatment and the expansion of services available to people seeking help.

Under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and related programmes, the government says more than 28 lakh people have received treatment and rehabilitation support. Authorities are also expanding the country's network of de-addiction facilities, including rehabilitation centres, district de-addiction centres and addiction treatment facilities.

The government's strategy for 2029 goes beyond conventional drug enforcement. Authorities are focusing on international and inter-state trafficking networks, illegal drug laboratories and precursor chemicals used in the production of synthetic narcotics. The growing use of digital platforms and the darknet for drug trafficking has also emerged as an area of concern.

Under the three-year roadmap, the government has set targets to dismantle 100 international and inter-state drug networks, bring back 100 narcotics-related fugitives and destroy 100 clandestine drug laboratories. Financial investigations into the proceeds of drug trafficking are also expected to form an important part of the strategy.

The government has simultaneously set plans to expand access to treatment and rehabilitation. The longer-term objective is to increase the network of supported de-addiction centres to 1,751 facilities. The national drug de-addiction helpline, 14446, also provides counselling and referrals for people seeking assistance. The figures show why India's 2029 target involves more than simply stopping illegal drug shipments. The country faces a combination of supply-side trafficking, changing patterns of synthetic drug production, substance dependence and the need for accessible treatment.

Measuring progress will therefore require more than counting arrests and seizures. Updated data on substance use, treatment outcomes, prevention programmes and the disruption of organised trafficking networks will be important in determining how the country's drug situation changes before 2029. The available numbers underline the size and complexity of the challenge. India is entering the final years of its 2029 strategy with a large treatment burden, an evolving illicit drug market and a stated objective of tackling both the supply of narcotics and the demand for them.