In India, cosmetics are regulated by Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) under the overarching regulation Drug and Cosemtic Act 1940 & Rules 1945 (amended up to Dec.31st 2016). The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) issued standards for ingredient usage in cosmetics.

Under the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules made thereunder, the manufacture of cosmetics in India is regulated under a system of inspection and licensing by the State Drug Control Department while the import of cosmetics is regulated under a system of registration by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

The application for a license of manufacture is submitted though the website of each state in India. Specific procedures vary from state to state. The required documents in Maharashtra State are as follows, for example:

• Application in form 31 (for cosmetics)
• Challan of fees paid to be upload in MFW module
• Specific power of attorney in favor authorized signatory for submitting application on behalf of the company
• List of competent technical staff, with their qualification, registration, experience, previous FDA approvals, etc.
• Appointment/acceptance letter of competent technical staff of manufacturing section
• Appointment/acceptance letter of competent technical staff of testing section
• Section wise list of plant and machineries
• Plan layout of the premises approved by the licensing authority
• Consent to establish & consent to operate from Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board
• Noc of department of industrial safety & health
• Details of manufacturing process, process flow chart (for bulk drug)
• AHU installation and validation certificate (wherever necessary)
• Water system installation and validation certificate (wherever necessary)

For registration of imported cosmetics, India adopts the concept of "brand" which refers to products in "product" column in above classification list. A "brand" will include all variants of a product e.g. colour, shades, pack sizes, etc. A "brand" will not mean the trade name of any product of a manufacturer or mean the manufacturer himself/itself.

A single application may be made for any number of brands manufactured at one or more locations by a single manufacturer. If the applicant seeks to import the same brand belonging to different manufacturers, he needs to submit separate application for each manufacturer and has to pay separate fees. In any existing valid registration certificate, if the applicant wants to add any further brand of already registered category as mentioned in the above "product" list for the same manufacturer, separate application will need to be submitted by the importer. But no fee will be charged. In such cases additional product permission will be endorsed to the already approved category in a given registration certificate.