Target 2029: How big is India’s drug challenge? What the latest numbers tell us

By 2029, the Indian government aims to eradicate the country's illicit drug trade. Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized the need to shift from meeting to mission mode and reporting to delivering results during a conference of top anti-narcotics officers. The fight against drugs is described as the most difficult battle, but it must be won by December 31, 2029.

In 2025, law enforcement agencies arrested 183,672 people in narcotics cases, a nearly 45% increase from 2022. The government has instructed agencies to utilize preventive detention under the PITNDPS Act to hold habitual traffickers for up to two years without bail and freeze illicit assets.

Kerala led in enforcement action with 42,880 arrests and 40,398 registered cases, followed by Punjab with 30,808 cases and 38,477 arrests. Seizures included 5,976 kg of ganja and synthetic party drugs, 19.1 million tablets, 35,531 kg of poppy husk, 2,085 kg of heroin, and substantial quantities of marijuana, opium, and cocaine in other states.

Recent trends show a rise in hydroponic ganja trafficking, which is considered more potent and expensive in the drug trafficking market. Punjab, West Bengal, and Haryana had the highest seizures of hydroponic ganja.

The target is ambitious but achievable if all law enforcement agencies prioritize the eradication of the illicit drug trade. Experts believe that policing and spreading awareness, convicting drug smugglers, and cutting off their finances are equally crucial.