The Central Bureau of Narcotics and PHARMEXCIL have signed an MoU to facilitate legitimate pharmaceutical exports, streamline procedures and prevent diversion of pharma products.
The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) under the finance ministry and the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (PHARMEXCIL), set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, on Monday signed an agreement to boost exports of pharma products.The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is aimed at facilitating legitimate international trade and preventing the diversion of pharma products.Recognising India's position as a leading global supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), bulk drugs, formulations, biologics, and medical devices, the MoU aims to balance the promotion of India's pharmaceutical exports with effective regulatory oversight, the finance ministry said in a statement.CBN is the agency administering the regulations and enforcement provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Under the NDPS Act, the CBN supervises the licit cultivation of opium poppy, issuing authorisations for the import and export of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and ensuring that essential chemical inputs are not diverted for illicit use.As per the MoU, the government, in consultation with PHARMEXCIL, will develop a voluntary code of conduct, setting out recommended practices for the industry.The partnership will focus on identifying operational bottlenecks and recommending measures to streamline legitimate export procedures for compliant pharmaceutical exporters."The pharma industry will endeavour to nominate 'Contact Persons' from member companies to coordinate matters associated with the voluntary code of conduct," the statement said.Published on August 25, 2026
