Navi Mumbai airport approved as port for import of medicines

The interiors of Navi Mumbai airport

| Photo Credit:

Gerra Madhusudan 10751@Chennai

In an effort to strengthen the pharmaceutical supply chain, the Health Ministry has green-lighted the import of drugs through the recently inaugurated Navi Mumbai Airport in Maharashtra.“The amendment to Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945 now includes Navi Mumbai in the list of airports through which drugs may be imported into the country. The notification has been issued after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940,” a note from the Ministry said.With this, Navi Mumbai Airport joins the list of designated airports permitted to import drugs under the Drugs Rules, 1945, and the total number of ports of entry (road/rail/ship/air) stands at 42 with the latest addition, it said. The amendment is expected “to facilitate smoother movement of pharmaceutical consignments, strengthen logistics infrastructure, and provide greater flexibility to importers by adding a new alternative for import of medicines into India,” it added.The latest development follows multiple recent initiatives “to strengthen the regulatory framework, improve trade facilitation, and promote ease of doing business while ensuring effective regulatory oversight of imported drugs,” the note said.Published on July 8, 2026