CDSCO to Issue Faster Testing NOCs for Drug Import and Manufacturing Applications 

Key Highlights: 

• Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation will begin issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) immediately upon receiving applications for drug sample testing, according to an announcement by Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi. The new process will come into effect from June 1, 2026. 

• The NOCs will allow applicants to send drug samples for testing at designated laboratories including Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission in Ghaziabad, Central Drugs Testing Laboratory, Central Drugs Laboratory and National Institute of Biologicals. 

• The move is aimed at accelerating regulatory processing for new drug import, manufacturing approvals and registration certificates, while aligning with broader reforms under the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 to simplify procedures and improve ease of doing business in India’s pharmaceutical sector. 

Implications: 

Pharma innovators breathe easy as testing bottlenecks vanish, unleashing faster launches for complex biologics and nephrology breakthroughs. 
Local manufacturers gain edge over import-dependent rivals, fueling PE bets on India’s CDMO boom while generics race to market. 
India solidifies as fastest-route global pharma hub, drawing complex molecule investments from quality-starved innovators. 

Source: Pharmabiz | Image: CDSCO