India: Food, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences

India's life sciences, pharmaceutical, and consumer healthcare sectors are entering a more enforcement-driven regulatory phase. Recent interventions by the Central Government, the Central Drugs Standard Control...

India has remained on the US Trade Representative's Priority Watch List for over 15 years due to ongoing disputes over intellectual property protection, particularly concerning pharmaceutical patents, compulsory licensing, and data exclusivity. With the recent India-EU Free Trade Agreement signed in January 2026, questions arise about whether this landmark deal will alter the dynamics of US-India trade negotiations and India's controversial IP stance.

India's healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical devices sectors have witnessed significant regulatory and policy developments from April to May 2026, including the nationwide expansion of mental healthcare services, the launch of the JANANI digital platform for maternal and child healthcare, and proposed amendments to medical device regulations.

The Delhi High Court has ruled on a significant patent law question regarding whether making a fungicide stable at high temperatures constitutes an enhancement in efficacy under Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, 1970.

Can a pharmaceutical giant's two-decade-old brand name ‘A TO Z' command exclusive rights over those three terms in the multivitamin market? And what happens when a smaller competitor enters with a composite mark containing the same alphabetical endpoints, embedded within an entirely different word?

For years, the medical device industry has operated in a regulatory tug-of-war caught between the labelling requirements of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 & amendments thereof (“LM Rules”) and Medical Devices Rules, 2017 (“MD Rules”).

After a decade-long investigation into allegations of anti-competitive practices in Delhi's hospital sector, India's Competition Commission has delivered a landmark ruling on aftermarket abuse and excessive pricing. The case, which began with complaints about disposable syringe markups at Max Super Specialty Hospital, evolved into a comprehensive examination of pricing practices across 12 super specialty hospitals, ultimately establishing critical precedents for defining healthcare aftermarkets and applying

The Karnataka High Court examined whether healthcare services provided by a medical enterprise to patients through a contractual arrangement with another hospital qualify for GST exemption. The Revenue department argued for an 18% tax rate, while the assessee claimed exemption under healthcare service provisions. The Court's decision hinged on interpreting the legislative intent behind healthcare exemptions and determining whether service classification should follow contractual form or substantive nature.

India's healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical devices sectors have witnessed significant regulatory and policy developments from April to May 2026, including the nationwide expansion of mental healthcare services, the launch of the JANANI digital platform for maternal and child healthcare, and proposed amendments to medical device regulations.