A complete, plain-English guide to India’s cosmetic regulations for online D2C brands. Understand CDSCO approvals, BIS standards, labeling rules, import licensing, small-pack exemptions, ecommerce duties, and practical compliance checklists to launch and scale legally in India.

Indian beauty and personal care is one of the most dynamic D2C categories in the country, but it is also among the most regulated. Whether you manufacture locally or import finished goods, your website, packaging, claims, ecommerce marketing and even your ingredient choices are governed by national standards. The prize for getting this right is real: faster approvals, smoother marketplace onboarding, fewer port delays, and higher consumer trust. The risk of getting it wrong is equally real: seizures at ports, penalties, platform takedowns, or forced relabeling.

This guide translates the core Indian cosmetic rules into founder-friendly language, with practical steps, tables, and India-specific nuances so you can launch and scale with confidence.

India’s Cosmetic Regulations for Your Online D2C Store

India regulates cosmetics primarily under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 (issued under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940). The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is the central authority for approvals and oversight, while Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) publishes mandatory and reference standards that touch ingredients, preservatives, and colorants. E-commerce sellers must also comply with Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 for declarations like MRP and net quantity. CDSCO+1ChemLinked

At a glance:

• CDSCO: Licensing/registration for imports and manufacturing; safety and labeling enforcement. CDSCO
• BIS: Ingredient positive/negative lists (IS 4707, Part 1 & 2), permitted preservatives, UV filters, and product-specific standards listed in the Ninth Schedule. 
• Legal Metrology: MRP, quantity, name and address, month/year of manufacture or import, etc., on retail packs. (Referenced widely in compliance guides for cosmetics labeling.) 

Domestic manufacture vs. import: Picking the right pathway

India treats domestically manufactured and imported cosmetics differently. If you manufacture in India, you obtain a state license (via the CDSCO SUGAM portal; forms are under the 2020 Rules) and must comply with BIS standards wherever mandated (Ninth Schedule). If you import, you must secure a CDSCO Import Registration (product+premises) before goods enter India; imported units must bear the registration certificate number and the name and address of the registration certificate holder on the label. India-specific stickers can be applied at bonded warehouses when permitted. drugscontrol.orgCDSCO

Decision table: Which approval do you need?

Sources: CDSCO Cosmetics Rules page; import registration guidance; labeling requirement excerpt.

Ingredients: What is allowed, restricted, or prohibited

BIS IS 4707 (Part 1 & 2) governs colorants and other cosmetic raw materials, including lists of permitted colorants, prohibited substances, restricted substances with conditions, preservatives, and UV filters. Formulators must screen INCI names against these lists before development. Several industry primers summarize the structure and how “GRAS/GNRAS” categories are used in Indian standards. 

Practical workflow for founders

1. Ask your manufacturer for a full INCI breakdown with percentages.

2. Run an IS 4707 Part 1 & 2 check for every ingredient (colorants/pigments, preservatives, UV filters, others).

3. Confirm any maximum limits, usage conditions, or product-type restrictions.

4. Archive supplier CoAs, MSDS, and allergen statements alongside your PIF (Product Information File).

Multiple professional guides and BIS excerpts reiterate that India follows these lists, and CDSCO monitors updates for prohibited/restricted materials. 

Labeling: What must appear on the pack (and when you may claim an exemption)

Under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, labels must include core declarations on both inner and outer packs (where applicable). Industry guidance aligned to the Rules notes the following elements: product name, manufacturer or importer name and address, net content, batch number, month/year of manufacture or import, use-before/best-before or expiry (as applicable), usage directions, and ingredient list using proper nomenclature. English or Hindi is accepted for mandatory declarations. 

Small-pack exemptions apply to certain declarations to keep micro-packs legible. Multiple India-focused legal summaries highlight that:

• The batch code need not appear for packs up to 10 g (solids/semisolids) or 25 ml (liquids).

• The ingredient list may be exempt for packs ≤ 60 ml (liquids) or ≤ 20 g (solids/semisolids) (some older guidance cites 30 g; check your specific product standard and the latest CDSCO clarification before print runs). Pharmadocx Consultantsarogyalegal.com

Imported cosmetics must also carry the registration certificate number and RC holder details; India-specific elements can be stickered at the bonded warehouse when permitted. 

Ecommerce duties for D2C: What changes when you sell online

While cosmetics regulation doesn’t change because you sell online, your operational obligations do: accurate display of MRP, net quantity, manufacturer/importer details, customer support coordinates, and expiry/best-before where relevant. Sector commentary on India’s modernization of cosmetic oversight also flags increasing expectations that ecommerce sellers ensure listing-level compliance—from labeling to ingredient restrictions—before products go live. Align your site PDPs and marketplace feeds with the same declarations that appear on pack. cosmeticsregulatory

Tip: Build a single master data sheet for each SKU with all declarations, INCI, approvals, shelf life, and claims substantiation so your website, marketplaces, and packaging always match.

Claims, substantiation, and advertising hygiene

Cosmetic claims must be truthful, not misleading, and consistent with the product category. If you imply functional outcomes—“anti-acne,” “SPF 50,” “anti-hair fall,” “24-hour moisturization”—you should keep test reports on file (clinical, instrumental, or consumer use studies) to defend the claim. Where BIS standards exist (for sunscreens, skin creams, soaps, etc.), align test methods and labeling with those standards listed in the Ninth Schedule. ChemLinked

Avoid medical/therapeutic claims that could reclassify the product as a drug or cosmeceutical requiring a different regulatory pathway.

The approvals timeline and application design

The CDSCO SUGAM portal streamlines licensing, but process design matters. Industry news in 2024 indicated CDSCO capped the number of cosmetics in a single online application to improve processing timelines. Practically, plan submissions by family/variant and ensure dossiers are complete the first time to avoid clock resets. 

Documentation bundle that speeds approvals

• Corporate KYC (GST, PAN, CIN where applicable).
• Manufacturing license (domestic) or foreign manufacturing site details (import).
• Product composition with INCI and percentages.
• Label artworks (inner/outer) reflecting Indian requirements.
• Test reports or compliance statements for BIS-mandated standards.
• Free Sale Certificate/marketing authorization from country of origin (imports).

CDSCO’s official guidance lays out portal submission structure for import registration, including product-and-premise mapping.

The import playbook: From RC to port clearance

If you import, plan the sequence backward from ETA:

1. CDSCO Import Registration Certificate (RC) approved for product and manufacturing site. CDSCO

2. Artwork finalized with RC number and RC holder address, plus India-specific declarations; if not printed, prepare bonded-warehouse stickers as permitted. drugscontrol.org

3. Pre-alert your customs broker with RC, ingredient lists, and invoices.

4. Quality documents (CoA, MSDS, microbiological reports) ready for inspection.

Delays often stem from missing or mismatched labels; align early.

Data snapshot: Why compliance boosts growth as much as safety

The trends above reflect how CDSCO’s structured approach and BIS alignment reduce friction across your value chain—from approvals to ecommerce. (Derived from regulatory guidance and industry updates on labeling and application hygiene.) CDSCOdrugscontrol.orgChemLinked

Building lawful, high-performing claims

Consumers respond to efficacy. Regulators respond to evidence. Prove both.

• Anti-acne/brightening/anti-dandruff: Keep study designs, endpoints, and timeframes on file.

• SPF/PA: Use recognized test methods and disclose correctly where BIS standards apply.

• “Dermatologically tested”: A real test, not a marketing flourish; keep the report ready.

Where a Ninth Schedule standard covers the product type (soaps, skin creams, shampoos, hair oils, lipsticks, etc.), bake the standard’s requirements into your product brief and your artwork QA. ChemLinked

Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

1) INCI/name mismatches across channels
If your pack lists “Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)” and your website says “Nicotinamide” at a different percentage, you invite complaints. Set a single approved nomenclature sheet per SKU.

2) Printing labels before final approvals
For imports, never print large runs until RC is issued; if timing forces you to, confirm that bonded-warehouse stickering is acceptable for the missing declarations. 

3) Using global artwork without India review
Global templates often miss MRP, month/year, and India-specific cautionary text. Run a structured India artwork checklist each time.

4) Overstuffed claims without substantiation
Vague quantifiers (“clinically proven to erase wrinkles”) are red flags. Keep your words aligned with data thresholds from your tests.

5) Submitting huge, unfocused applications
CDSCO has limited the number of products per online application in recent process updates. Group sensibly by variant family to reduce queries. drugscontrol.org