Centre proposes amendment to allow drug imports via Navi Mumbai airport

Health Ministry proposes listing Navi Mumbai International Airport as a notified port under drug rules, enabling air import of medicines through the facility

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed listing Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) as a notified port through which drugs can be imported by air under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

 

In a gazette notification dated January 29, the Union Health Ministry proposed a draft amendment, in consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), to include NMIA as a notified airport for the import of medicinal drugs.

 

Currently, there are 11 such airports notified under Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, which mandates that no drug shall be imported into India except through one of the places listed under it.

 

At present, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Goa, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram are listed as places through which drugs can be imported by air into India.

 

Operationalised in December 2025, NMIA will become the 12th airport permitted for inbound movement of drugs.

 

This move comes a year after the airport, located in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, was notified by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) as a customs port for import and export of cargo operations.

 

The Centre has invited objections and suggestions on the proposal from any person within a period of 30 days.

 

“The said draft rules shall be taken into consideration on or after the expiry of a period of thirty days from the date on which the copies of the Gazette of India containing these draft rules are made available to the public,” the notification added.