New Delhi: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) will be meeting the stakeholders in the cosmetics industry in the country to discuss the issues relating to the regulatory provisions of the cosmetics sector.
The meeting, scheduled on November 19, 2024 evening at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), FDA Bhawan, New Delhi, is expected to act as a platform for the regulator to discuss the regulatory issues faced by the industry as well as to look at various aspects from the regulator’s point of view, according to sources.
DCGI Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi in a circular said that a meeting is scheduled with the manufacturers, importers and industry associations to discuss the issues and sought the associations to nominate their representatives well versed with the subject matter to attend the meeting.
The cosmetics industry has been regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and through the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 formulated under the Act to govern the manufacture, import, distribution and sale of cosmetics in the country.
However, various issues related to regulation in the sector has been discussed by the industry and experts in the past, including the complexities including dealing with various regulatory authorities and multiple laws, which impacts the ease of doing business.
According to a study – Regulatory environment of the cosmetics industry in India: An in-depth analysis – in the March, 2024 issue of International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology (IJARSCT), the challenges faced by the cosmetics industry in the country include the complex regulatory framework, lack of clarity in regulatory standards leading to uncertainty among industry players regarding compliance requirements, and significant investments required for research, testing and compliance activities to adapt to evolving regulatory standards, among others.
“Importing and exporting cosmetics in India involves compliance with import- export regulations, including customs clearance, documentation requirements, and adherence to international standards. Changes in import export regulations or trade barriers imposed by other countries can create challenges for cosmetics industry players operating in the global market,” said the study by Reetika Pare, research scholar and Dr Sanjay Payasi, professor, Anand Institute of Management, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Besides, delays in the regulatory approval process can also lead to delay in bringing new and innovative products to market.
Aligning the regulator standards in the country with the international standards is another challenge, especially in aspects such as safety of ingredients, labelling requirements, and testing methods for the products, it added. The study calls for a robust regulatory framework, which is crucial for the growth of the cosmetics industry in the country.
The Central drug regulator has also been taking various measures to streamline the approval process, including receiving the applications from the industry for registration and import of cosmetics including post approval change, through the Sugam on-line portal.
In August, the CDSCO said that in order to further streamline the process, it decided to restrict the number of products to a maximum of 50 per single online application. However, industry players can make multiple applications. The decision is part of evolving the processing and disposal of applications within the stipulated timeline as per the Cosmetics Rules, 2020.
