Indian Health ministry issues guidelines on cosmetics imports registration

The Indian Health ministry has issued new guidelines on registration of importing of cosmetics with effect from 1 April 2013.

The new guidelines state that all cosmetic products that are imported for sale in India are to be registered with the licensing authority as defined under Rule 21 of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

During the registration process, an application under Form-42, with all necessary documents, should be submitted to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

The application should be filed by either the manufacturer himself having a registered office in the country, or through his authorised agent, or the subsidiary or any other importer.

The guidelines also allows a single manufacturer to file a single application under Form 42 for more number of brands manufactured at one or more locations.

According to the guidelines, under Form 43 a single registration certificate may be issued to a particular applicant in respect of import of any number of brands manufactured at one or more locations by a single manufacturer.

Each applicant should pay a fee of Rs13 thousand ($250) for each brand, under each category of cosmetics.

The guidelines also state that if the applicant plans to import the same brand belonging to different manufacturers, s/he needs to submit separate application for each manufacturer and has to pay separate fees therefore.

Some of the cosmetic products listed in the guidelines include skincare, facial care, eye care, lip care, hand care, foot care, body care, external intimate, chemical exfoliaters, mechanical exfoliaters, skin lighteners, skin cleansers, bath / shower products, make-up removers.

The list also includes external intimate hygiene products, body hair removers, bleach for body hair products, correction of body odour and/or perspiration, shaving products, make-up products, perfumes, nail and cuticle products, oral hygiene products among others.