Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), dried or fresh plant material
HSN 1211 90 57 (Ashwagandha — Withania somnifera) is not covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order and carries no Partner Government Agency clearance requirement at the tariff-line level. Import follows the standard customs procedure: Importer-Exporter Code, bill of entry, commercial invoice, packing list. Other medicinal and aromatic plants under Chapter 12 may attract phytosanitary or AYUSH-related scrutiny depending on form and intended use.
The absence of compliance at this tariff line does not insulate an importer from scrutiny if the product is presented in a finished or semi-processed form — extracts, powders with excipients, or labelled nutraceutical preparations may invite re-classification into Chapter 13 (vegetable saps and extracts) or Chapter 21 (miscellaneous food preparations), each of which carries its own regulatory regime. Re-classification on customs examination triggers retrospective compliance and potential detention. Verify the precise commercial form — raw root, cut and dried herb, or concentrated extract — before relying on the absence of compliance here.