In India, if a medical device is to be imported, the importer must obtain an import license from the Central Drugs Standard Organisation (CDSCO) which is the regulatory body that is responsible for the registration and regulation of medical devices in India.
For any medical device which is imported in India it must have any one of the globally accepted quality certifications to ensure that the imported devices don’t possess a threat to the safety and health of the population.
For importing a medical device in India the foreign manufacturer has to appoint a local authorized agent who must possess a license for either manufacturing medical devices for distribution and sales (Form 20B) or wholesale distribution of medical devices (Form 21B). The applicant will then submit an application on the Sugam portal of CDSCO.
We at Maven, understand the complexities of medical device regulations. Let us handle the application process of Import License and you can focus on your core business areas. Our team of experts ensure meticulous attention to detail which results in error-free applications, avoiding rejections and delays for obtaining the license.
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The government fee to be paid is determined by the Class of Medical device based on the risk category. The fee to be paid are:
Class A | USD 1000/site and USD 500/File |
Class B | USD 2000/site and USD 1000/File |
Class C | USD 3000/site and USD 1500/File |
Class D | USD 3000/site and USD 1500/ File |
Author – Mahesh Iyer
The import license needs to be renewed every 5 years.
To renew an Import License, the license holder and manufacturer need to submit updated documents and pay the Device Master File (DMF) and Plant Master File (PMF).
If the renewal fee is not paid on time the license holder needs to pay a penalty for late payment and also the retention fee. The penalty for late payment is 2 percent of the retention fee for each month or part of a month within 90 days. The import license will be canceled if there is nonpayment of fees.
Generally, Class A devices (Low risk class) are exempted and can be imported into India whereas the other classes of devices have to undergo clinical evaluation and post market surveillance reports have to be prepared. The innovative devices can also bypass this stage if they are approved by the regulatory authorities of either one of the countries which are USA, United Kingdom, Canada, European Union, Australia and Japan.
Under the current rule the license cannot be transferred but more than one company can hold the license for the same product.
The timeline to receive an import license is 4-6 months.
The class A devices are exempted for getting an Import license however they must be registered on an online portal and self certified to certain standards.
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