The government has officially notified the recently inaugurated Navi Mumbai Airport in Maharashtra as a designated Port for Import of Drugs under the Drugs Rules, 1945, a move expected to strengthen the pharmaceutical supply chain and facilitate easier trade operations.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Navi Mumbai has been added to the list of airports through which drugs may be imported into India by amending Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945.
The amendment states that in Rule 43A, the words “Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram” shall be substituted with “Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram and Navi Mumbai.”
The notification was issued after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
The amended rules, titled the Drugs (Ninth Amendment) Rules, 2026, came into effect from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette on 2 July 2026.
With the inclusion of Navi Mumbai Airport, the total number of notified ports of entry (road/rail/ship/air) for the import of drugs in India has increased to 42.
The government said the amendment is expected to facilitate smoother movement of pharmaceutical consignments, strengthen logistics infrastructure, and provide greater flexibility to importers by offering an additional gateway for the import of medicines into the country.
The move is part of the government’s broader efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework, improve trade facilitation, and promote Ease of Doing Business while maintaining effective regulatory oversight of imported drugs.
