India to ban two antibiotic classes used in animal husbandry

India's health authorities are moving to restrict the use of two major antibiotic classes in animals as part of a broader crackdown on antimicrobial resistance. A draft notification under consideration would ban carboxypenicillins and phosphonic acid derivatives from veterinary use, marking a significant shift in the country's approach to animal health management.

The proposed prohibition reflects growing international concern over the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry farming. When animals are administered these drugs—often as growth promoters or prophylactic agents—resistant bacterial strains can emerge and spread to human populations through the food chain, complicating treatment of infections in patients.

Carboxypenicillins, a class of extended-spectrum penicillins, and phosphonic acid derivatives have been routinely used in Indian animal husbandry for decades. Their withdrawal from veterinary markets is expected to face resistance from the livestock industry, though health experts have long advocated for such restrictions to protect the efficacy of these drugs for human medicine.

The draft notification aligns India's regulatory stance with global antimicrobial stewardship principles and WHO recommendations on prudent antibiotic use. The move represents one of the most concrete steps the Centre has taken to operationalise its National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, which was adopted in 2017.

Once finalised, the ban would require pharmaceutical manufacturers to halt production for veterinary purposes and retailers to clear existing stocks. Industry consultations are expected before the notification is formally issued.