The Central Government has notified Navi Mumbai International Airport as an authorised port for the import of drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
The amendment to Rule 43A, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, adds the Maharashtra facility to the list of designated entry points for pharmaceutical imports.
The notification modifies Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945, which mandates that no drug shall be imported into India except through specified places.
Currently, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Goa, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram are listed as places through which drugs can be imported by air into India.
The addition of Navi Mumbai International Airport in Raigad district brings the total number of authorised air import gateways to 12.
The move is expected to facilitate drug import operations by expanding authorised entry points and supporting growing pharmaceutical logistics infrastructure.
The Central Government exercises regulatory control over these articles imported into the country through the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) headed by the Drugs Controller General India.
At every notified port, CDSCO maintains an office headed by an Assistant or Deputy Drug Controller of India.
Navi Mumbai International Airport, inaugurated in October 2025, commenced commercial operations in December 2025.
The airport is preparing to expand from domestic services to full international operations, with international passenger and cargo flights scheduled to begin shortly.
The notification enables the airport to handle pharmaceutical imports alongside its expanding aviation operations.
The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs Rules, 1945, regulate the import, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices in India.
For the safety of the Indian public only Registered Drugs is allowed to be imported and Sold or used domestically in India for the Indian public either directly or as an input for manufacturing the final products which will be used in India.
The regulatory framework ensures that imported drugs meet quality standards and remain available to patients who need them.