Pariksha SaathiHealth Ministry proposes amending Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945 to add ICDs, an SEZ and Noida International Airport as authorised import gateways
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed an amendment to Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945 to expand the network of authorised entry points for the import of drugs, medical devices and cosmetics, the Ministry said on 3 November 2026. Rule 43A specifies the authorised ports, airports, railway stations, road crossings and other entry points through which drugs may be imported into India. The proposed additions are Inland Container Depots (ICDs) at 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); the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Bommasandra in Karnataka; and Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh for the import of drugs by air. These would be added to the existing network of authorised import gateways, which includes ICDs at Dhannad and Tihi in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and the airports already notified for the import of drugs. The Ministry expects the proposal to let importers clear consignments closer to their manufacturing facilities, warehouses and distribution centres, reducing inland transportation distances, logistics costs and delays, and to promote ease of doing business. The draft notification containing the proposed amendment is available in the Official Gazette, and objections and suggestions may be sent to the Under Secretary (Drugs Regulation), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Kartavya Bhawan-1, New Delhi, or by email.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
On 8 July 2026 the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced that it had amended Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945 to include the recently inaugurated Navi Mumbai Airport in Maharashtra in the list of airports through which drugs may be imported into the country. The notification was issued after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. With that addition, the Ministry said, the total number of ports of entry (road, rail, ship and air) for the import of drugs became 42. It said the amendment was expected to facilitate smoother movement of pharmaceutical consignments, strengthen logistics infrastructure and give importers a new alternative for importing medicines, in line with the Government's efforts to promote Ease of Doing Business while ensuring effective regulatory oversight of imported drugs.
Check yourself: which airport was added to Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945 in July 2026, which body was consulted before the notification, and what did the total number of ports of entry for the import of drugs become?
Navi Mumbai Airport (Maharashtra); the Drugs Technical Advisory Board; 42.
Revision task: from this release, note the rule and the Rules being amended, what Rule 43A specifies, the proposed new ICDs with their states, the SEZ, the airport, the existing ICDs in Indore, the expected benefits and how objections can be sent; from the note, the airport added in July 2026, the body consulted, the parent Act and the total number of ports of entry it gave. Remember that the new change is still only a proposal.
Test yourself
Under a proposed amendment to Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945, announced by the Health Ministry on 3 November 2026, which airport is proposed to be added as an authorised entry point for the import of drugs by air?
Show the answer
Answer: Noida International Airport
The draft amendment proposes adding Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh for the import of drugs by air, along with Inland Container Depots in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana and Karnataka and the SEZ at Bommasandra in Karnataka. It is still a proposal: the Ministry has invited objections and suggestions on the draft notification.
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