Noida International Airport soon to be an authorised entry point for import of medicines, medical devices and cosmetics

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has included Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh among the proposed list of additional authorised entry points for the import of drugs, medical devices and cosmetics into the country. The new list also contains Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bommasandra in Karnataka and Inland Container Depots (ICDs) in Sonipat, Piyala and Harsaru in Haryana; Dadri in Uttar Pradesh; Gandhidham/Mundra in Gujarat; Sanath Nagar and Thimmapur in Hyderabad, Telangana and Whitefield in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

These locations will be added to the existing network of authorised import gateways, which includes ICDs at Dhannad and Tihi in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, along with the airports in Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Goa, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram that are already notified for the import of drugs.

According to the ministry, the proposed expansion is expected to facilitate importers in clearing consignments closer to their manufacturing facilities, warehouses and distribution centres. This is likely to reduce inland transportation distances, optimise logistics costs and minimise delays in the movement of imported consignments. The measure is also expected to improve operational convenience for importers while facilitating more efficient movement of medicines, medical devices and cosmetics across different regions of the country.

“Through this proposed amendment, the Ministry seeks to strengthen the supporting infrastructure for the import of healthcare products, promote ease of doing business and contribute towards a more efficient and responsive supply chain, thereby facilitating timely availability of essential healthcare products”, an official statement said.

The Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945, specifies the authorised ports, airports, railway stations, road crossings and other entry points through which drugs may be imported into India. The rule also restricts the entry of drugs to the designated places through road and rail and sea routes as well. Tuticorin and Kamrajar ports in Tamil Nadu, Marmugao port in Goa, Visakhapatnam and Krishnapatnam and Gangavaram ports in Andhra Pradesh, Gandhinagar and Mundra Port in Gujarat , are among the designated sea ports of entry.

The ministry has issued a draft notification containing the proposed amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945, to expand the existing list of authorized ports of entry for medicines and other products.