Other

Other antibiotics (residual category, organic chemicals)

MOHFW CLEARANCE · NDPS CLEARANCE

HSN 2941 90 90 (Other antibiotics) is subject to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) drug import controls, with mandatory Drug Import Licence and registration certificate requirements under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Where the substance falls within scheduled narcotic or psychotropic categories, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) import certificate conditions under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985 apply concurrently. Import is otherwise free subject to DGFT policy condition no. 08 of Chapter 29, operative until 30 November 2026.

What this is

HSN code

2941 90 90

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

Primary regulator

MOHFW · Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (drug import licensing and registration)

Customs documentation

Import licence for drugs from MOHFW
Registration certificate from MOHFW
Certificate of Analysis from MOHFW

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

MOHFWMOHFW·Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

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
Obtain a valid Drug Import Licence (document code 9111dc) and Registration Certificate for Drugs (document code 101dc1) from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 before filing the bill of entry. Upload both documents in e-Sanchit along with the Certificate of Analysis (0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), and Label of Consignment (0110dc) before out-of-charge.
MOHFW drug import regime · e-Sanchit document codes 9111dc, 101dc1, 0010dc, 0030dc, 0110dc
2
Where the antibiotic falls within a scheduled NDPS category, obtain an import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985, for medical or scientific purposes as per Chapter VII-A. This requirement does not apply to remdesivir injection, remdesivir API, or beta-cyclodextrin (SBEbCD), which are explicitly carved out.
NDPS Rules, 1985, Rule 53 and Chapter VII-A · ITC (HS) policy condition no. 2 to Chapter 29
3
Ensure import declarations include the mandatory additional qualifiers prescribed in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 for commodities under Chapter 29, with effect from 15 October 2023. Separately, confirm the consignment does not include chloramphenicol or nitrofurans formulations intended for food-producing animal rearing, which are prohibited under S.O. 1158(E) dated 12-03-2025.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023 · S.O. 1158(E) dated 12-03-2025 · DGFT Notification 50/2025-26 dated 18-12-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is overlooking the dual-track regime: an antibiotic that sits on the NDPS scheduled-substances list requires both the standard Drug Import Licence from MOHFW and a separate import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 — the two are not substitutes. Additionally, importers routinely omit the Chapter 29 mandatory qualifiers required under CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus, which attracts bill-of-entry rejection at the gate, causing detention and demurrage before any substantive PGA review even begins.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2941 90 90 require BIS certification?

No, this residual antibiotic tariff line is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare drug licensing regime under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, with an NDPS import certificate requirement where the substance is a scheduled narcotic or psychotropic.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this HSN?

The mandatory uploads are Certificate of Analysis (0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Registration Certificate for Drugs (101dc1), and Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc); all must be present before customs out-of-charge.

Is the prohibition on chloramphenicol and nitrofurans formulations absolute?

The prohibition under S.O. 1158(E) dated 12-03-2025 applies specifically to use in any food-producing animal rearing system; human-use pharmaceutical imports under valid MOHFW drug licences remain subject to the standard drug import regime rather than this prohibition.

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