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Selling cosmetics in India

In India, cosmetics fall under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Imported cosmetics are registered with the Central Licensing Authority at CDSCO before import, and cosmetics made in India are made under a licence from the State Licensing Authority. Animal testing of cosmetics is not allowed.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Regulator
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)
Rules
Cosmetics Rules, 2020
Imports
Registration certificate in Form COS-2, applied for on SUGAM
Made in India
Manufacturing licence from the State Licensing Authority
Animal testing
Not allowed; no imports tested on animals after 12 November 2014
Veg or non-veg dot
Red or brown, or green, at the top of the main panel

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it a cosmetic, and is it new to India? Read more
  2. 2Is it imported, and is it registered with CDSCO? Read more
  3. 3Is it made in India under a state licence? Read more
  4. 4Does it meet the standards, and are its ingredients permitted? Read more
  5. 5What has to be on the label? Read more
  6. 6Which legal metrology declarations does the pack need? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

What counts as a cosmetic

The definition, and products new to India.

  • Section 3(aaa) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 defines a cosmetic.
  • CDSCO's Central Licensing Authority registers imported cosmetics; State Licensing Authorities license their manufacture.
  • A new cosmetic, one containing a novel ingredient not used anywhere in the world or not recognised for cosmetic use in national or international literature, needs the Central Licensing Authority's permission (rule 32), applied for in Form COS-12 with data on safety and effectiveness.
  • The Cosmetics Rules, 2020 list soap products among the categories of cosmetics.

How we help: Compliant Always records the category and the ingredients that make a product new, with the rule behind each, and watches CDSCO for changes. Ask about this

Import registration

What an imported cosmetic needs before it reaches the port.

  • No cosmetic may be imported unless it is registered (rule 12). The application in Form COS-1 is made on CDSCO's SUGAM portal by the manufacturer, its authorised agent or importer, or its subsidiary in India.
  • A registration certificate in Form COS-2 is decided within six months of application and covers named pack sizes, variants and manufacturing sites.
  • The certificate remains valid in perpetuity, subject to a retention fee paid before five years from issue (rule 14).
  • Changes to labelling or composition are notified within 15 days.
  • Another importer of an already registered product obtains an import registration number in Form COS-4A, valid for three years (rule 17).
  • No cosmetic may be imported if it is banned in its country of origin, if its use-before date is less than six months from import, if it contains hexachlorophene, or if it was tested on animals after 12 November 2014 (rule 18).
  • Before import, a declaration that the cosmetic meets the rules goes to the Commissioner of Customs (rule 19).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the COS-2 certificate, the variants and sites it covers, and retention-fee dates with each product, and shows which are due. Ask about this

Manufacturing in India

The state licence and good manufacturing practice.

  • Cosmetics are made under a licence from the State Licensing Authority, applied for in Form COS-5 and granted in Form COS-8, or a loan licence in COS-9.
  • The licence remains valid in perpetuity, subject to a retention fee.
  • Records of each batch are kept for three years after the batch expires.
  • A manufacturer or authorised agent that believes a cosmetic may be unsafe withdraws it from the market and informs the State or Central Licensing Authority (rule 65).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the licence, batch records and test reports with each batch, dated. Ask about this

Standards and ingredients

Quality standards, banned ingredients and limits.

  • Cosmetics in the Ninth Schedule meet the Indian Standard listed for them; others meet the standards of their country of origin.
  • Raw materials in Annex A of IS 4707 Part 2 may not be added, and dyes, colours and pigments are limited to those specified in IS 4707 and the Tenth Schedule, with limits for arsenic, lead and other heavy metals.
  • No cosmetic may be made with hexachlorophene, except in soaps within a limit and with the warning "Contains hexachlorophene - not to be used on babies".
  • Toothpaste fluoride content is limited to 1000 ppm, and hair dyes carry a caution in English and local languages.
  • No person may use any animal for testing of cosmetics (rule 39(7)).
  • Cosmetics may not make false or misleading claims (rule 36).

How we help: Compliant Always reads the formula and lab reports against the standard and the banned list, and shows which ingredients need a closer look. Ask about this

Label

What a cosmetic's labels show under rule 34.

  • The name of the cosmetic, the manufacturer and the address where it was made, or "Made in" and the country.
  • A use-before or expiry date, a batch number (not needed at 10 g or 25 ml or less) and the manufacturing licence number; imports may omit the licence number if the country of origin does not require it.
  • Net contents on the outer label, and directions, warnings and hazardous ingredients where a hazard exists.
  • Ingredients above 1% in descending order, then those at 1% or less, headed "INGREDIENTS" (not needed for packs of 60 ml or 30 g or less).
  • For imports, the registration certificate number preceded by "RC", with the importer's name and address; India-specific labelling may be stickered at a bonded warehouse.
  • Soaps give the month and year of manufacture instead of a batch number.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your label against rule 34 and lists the particulars that are missing. Ask about this

Legal metrology declarations

Packaged Commodities Rules for cosmetics.

  • Cosmetics packs carry the rule 6 declarations, such as net quantity, the retail sale price inclusive of taxes and consumer care details; the date of manufacture follows the drugs and cosmetics rules.
  • From 21 September 2026, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, other cosmetics and toiletries carry a red or brown dot for products of non-vegetarian origin, or a green dot for vegetarian origin, at the top of the principal display panel (G.S.R. 826(E)).
  • From the 2026 Third Amendment, importers may make the declarations at bonded warehouses of Authorised Economic Operator Tier-2 and Tier-3 operators.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the pack against the rule 6 declarations and the new dot, alongside rule 34. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Foreign manufacturerThe product and the data behind the import registration.Formulas, test reports and free sale papers kept with each product.
Importer or Indian agentThe COS-2 registration or COS-4A number, the RC number on the label, and the customs declaration.Registration, retention-fee and label dates kept and shown before they lapse.
Manufacturer in IndiaThe state licence, GMP and batch records.Licence and batch records kept with each batch.
Brand ownerLabel claims and the legal metrology declarations.Label read against rule 34 and rule 6 together.

Central and state rules

CDSCO's Central Licensing Authority registers imports; State Licensing Authorities license manufacture in their states.

Legal metrology rules are enforced through state Controllers of Legal Metrology.

Questions businesses ask

Do I need to register cosmetics to import them into India?
Yes. Rule 12 of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 bars import unless the cosmetic is registered. The application is made in Form COS-1 on CDSCO's SUGAM portal, and a certificate is issued in Form COS-2.
How long is a CDSCO cosmetics registration valid?
In perpetuity, subject to a retention fee paid before five years from issue, unless it is suspended or cancelled (rule 14).
Who can apply for cosmetics import registration?
The manufacturer, its authorised agent or importer in India, or its subsidiary in India authorised by the manufacturer.
Does India ban cosmetics tested on animals?
Yes. No cosmetic tested on animals after 12 November 2014 may be imported (rule 18), and no person may use any animal for testing cosmetics (rule 39).
How much shelf life must imported cosmetics have?
The use-before date on the label must be later than six months from the date of import (rule 18(2)).
What must a cosmetic label show in India?
The name, manufacturer and address, expiry date, batch number, manufacturing licence number, net contents, warnings where needed, ingredients, and for imports the RC number and importer's name and address.
Can imported cosmetics be relabelled in India?
Rule 34(9) allows India-specific labelling to be stickered on the unit pack at bonded warehouses.
What is the green or red dot on cosmetics in India?
From 21 September 2026, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, other cosmetics and toiletries carry a red or brown dot for non-vegetarian origin, or a green dot for vegetarian origin, at the top of the principal display panel.
Do cosmetics made in India need a licence?
Yes, from the State Licensing Authority, applied for in Form COS-5. The licence remains valid in perpetuity subject to a retention fee.
What is a new cosmetic in India?
One containing a novel ingredient not used anywhere in the world, or not recognised for cosmetic use in national or international literature. It needs the Central Licensing Authority's permission, applied for in Form COS-12 with data on safety and effectiveness.
Is there a fluoride limit for toothpaste in India?
Yes. The Cosmetics Rules, 2020 limit fluoride in toothpaste to 1000 ppm.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in India?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including India's central regulators and the state rules that sit beside them. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in India and what your paperwork needs to show.

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