Indian Importer
Managing a multi-brand import portfolio means tracking COS-1 renewal cycles across every product line and maintaining current LMPC registration. A single lapsed license exposes your entire import operation to enforcement action.
Your compliance journey
Audit Your Product Portfolio
Map every product line to its applicable COS-1, confirming that each license is current, correctly named, and matches the label on shelf.
Obtain LMPC Registration
Register under Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 as an importer before the first consignment arrives; LMPC registration is mandatory and separate from COS-1.
File COS-1 Per Product Line
Submit a COS-1 application through the SUGAM portal for each distinct product line, ensuring the brand name, product name, and manufacturer details match the physical label exactly.
Establish a Renewal Calendar
Log every COS-1 expiry date and LMPC renewal date; the 60-day processing window for COS-1 renewal means filings must begin well before expiry to avoid a gap in licensed status.
Validate Labels Before Import
Confirm that MRP, net quantity, importer address, and country of origin declarations on every label comply with Cosmetics Rules 2020 and Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 Rule 6.
Manage Renewals Proactively
Submit COS-1 renewals before expiry and monitor CDSCO for rule amendments that require label or documentation updates across your portfolio.
Audit Your Product Portfolio
Map every product line to its applicable COS-1, confirming that each license is current, correctly named, and matches the label on shelf.
Obtain LMPC Registration
Register under Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 as an importer before the first consignment arrives; LMPC registration is mandatory and separate from COS-1.
File COS-1 Per Product Line
Submit a COS-1 application through the SUGAM portal for each distinct product line, ensuring the brand name, product name, and manufacturer details match the physical label exactly.
Establish a Renewal Calendar
Log every COS-1 expiry date and LMPC renewal date; the 60-day processing window for COS-1 renewal means filings must begin well before expiry to avoid a gap in licensed status.
Validate Labels Before Import
Confirm that MRP, net quantity, importer address, and country of origin declarations on every label comply with Cosmetics Rules 2020 and Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 Rule 6.
Manage Renewals Proactively
Submit COS-1 renewals before expiry and monitor CDSCO for rule amendments that require label or documentation updates across your portfolio.
What you need
Avoid these pitfalls
Selling or distributing products against an expired COS-1, which constitutes unlicensed import and is directly actionable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940.
Allowing LMPC registration to lapse while continuing to import, violating Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 Rule 4 which requires valid registration before import.
Declaring incorrect MRP or net quantity on the label, in direct violation of Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 Rule 6(1)(e) and Rule 6(1)(d).
Continuing to sell stock under a label that has not been updated to reflect a post-amendment rule requirement, creating non-compliant inventory already in trade.
Initiating a new import consignment while the COS-1 renewal application is pending, without confirming that the existing license remains valid for the shipment date.
Got questions?
Also on this site
Free resource
India Cosmetics Import Checklist 2025 — free download