Import registration
Imported cosmetics must be registered with CDSCO via Form COS-1 by a domestic Authorized Agent. Registration is product-specific and valid for three years.
Compliance checkingSouth Asia
India cosmetic regulations
CDSCO · Cosmetics Rules 2020 (under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940)
India's Cosmetics Rules 2020 (replacing the older Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945 chapters) require all imported cosmetics to be registered with CDSCO by a domestic Authorized Agent. Manufacture within India requires a manufacturing license issued by the State Licensing Authority. Many product categories must also conform to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications.
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Key facts
- Statute
- Cosmetics Rules 2020
- Imported products
- Registration with CDSCO required
- Domestic manufacturers
- State manufacturing license required
- BIS conformity
- Mandatory for many categories (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.)
What India requires
The core obligations every brand selling cosmetics in India must meet.
Authorized Agent
Foreign manufacturers must appoint an Authorized Agent in India with a wholesale or retail license. The Agent submits the registration and assumes regulatory responsibility.
BIS conformity
Toothpaste, soap, shampoo, hair oil, henna, and several other category-specific products must conform to the relevant Indian Standard (IS) and may require BIS certification mark.
Labeling
English is acceptable for mandatory information, but local-language additions are common practice for retail. Manufacturer/importer address, batch number, manufacturing date, expiry, MRP (max retail price), and country of origin are mandatory.
How Cosmetica helps
Cosmetica coverage for India
Ingredient compliance against the Indian list of restricted/prohibited substances, BIS standard cross-reference for relevant categories, structured documentation for Authorized Agent submission.
Primary sources
Always verify current requirements against the regulator's official publications. Cosmetica's analysis cites these primary sources directly in every compliance finding.