India expands drug import gateways across five states for faster clearance

The Health Ministry has initiated an amendment to Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945, seeking to add multiple inland container depots, a special economic zone and an international airport to its list of authorised import gateways, according to a gazette notification released by the ministry.

The proposed expansion encompasses facilities across five states. In Haryana, three Inland Container Depots (ICDs) are slated for inclusion—at Sonipat, Piyala and Harsaru. Uttar Pradesh would gain an ICD at Dadri, while Gujarat's Gandhidham and Mundra facilities feature in the proposal. Telangana has two proposed locations: Sanath Nagar and Thimmapur in Hyderabad, while Karnataka's Whitefield has also been identified.

Beyond traditional depots, the ministry has recommended including the Bommasandra Special Economic Zone in Karnataka and Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh specifically for air-based pharmaceutical imports. These additions are designed to decentralise import operations and reduce bottlenecks at existing gateway ports.

Rule 43A currently specifies a defined set of authorised ports, airports and railway stations through which regulated pharmaceutical imports must enter India. The proposed amendments reflect growing efforts to modernise India's import infrastructure and ensure consistent medicine and medical device availability across domestic markets.