Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) and its derivatives

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and its derivatives

FSSAI CLEARANCE · NDPS CLEARANCE

HSN 2936 27 00 (Vitamin C and its derivatives) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) import-certificate conditions under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) mandatory Chapter 29 qualifier requirements under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus apply as additional customs-level overlays.

What this is

HSN code

2936 27 00

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Registration certificate from CDSCO/drugs authority
Import certificate from NDPS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

NDPSNDPS·Narcotics Control Bureau

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Upload all mandatory e-Sanchit documents before filing the bill of entry: Certificate of Analysis — Drug (0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Registration Certificate — Drugs (101dc1), FSSAI Import Licence (911001), and Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc). The proper officer will verify each document code before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC CCR mandatory-document checklist · document codes 0010dc, 0030dc, 0110dc, 0110FS, 101dc1, 911001, 9111dc
2
Where the consignment is imported for medical or scientific purposes under the NDPS regime, obtain an import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 as per Chapter VII-A. Imports outside the medical-and-scientific category are governed by Appendix I to the ITC (HS) Schedule under ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29.
Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 · Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985 · ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29
3
Include mandatory additional qualifiers in the import declaration for Chapter 29 commodities in compliance with CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2, with effect from 15 October 2023. Confirm that the consignment entry point is a designated food-import port per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent compliance failure on this tariff line is treating Vitamin C as a straightforward food ingredient and uploading only the FSSAI Import Licence, while overlooking the parallel NDPS-regime trigger and the full seven-document e-Sanchit stack. Any document code absent at the time the proper officer reviews a PGA-facilitated bill of entry will result in detention and demurrage; the NDPS import certificate under Rule 53 is an independent requirement from the drug-registration pathway and cannot be substituted by the FSSAI clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2936 27 00 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers provitamins or vitamins under Chapter 29. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a concurrent NDPS import-certificate requirement and DGFT ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Seven documents are mandatory: 0010dc (Certificate of Analysis — Drug), 0030dc (Batch Release Certificate), 0110dc (Label of Consignment), 0110FS (Specimen Copy of Label), 101dc1 (Registration Certificate — Drugs), 911001 (FSSAI Import Licence), and 9111dc (Import Licence for Drugs); all must be uploaded before out-of-charge is granted.

When does the NDPS import certificate under Rule 53 apply to Vitamin C imports?

The Rule 53 import certificate is required where Vitamin C or its derivatives fall within the NDPS scheduled-substance classification and are imported for medical or scientific purposes under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985; imports outside that category are instead governed by Appendix I to the ITC (HS) Schedule under policy condition 2 of Chapter 29.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / NDPS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.