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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. The Department of Pharmaceuticals has issued revising guidelines under the Promotion of Research & Innovation in Pharma-MedTech (PRIP) Scheme that enhances support for MSMEs and startups, introduces milestone-based funding, and raises grant ceilings for early and later stage projects, with higher support for strategic innovation areas. Applications can be submitted through the online portal.
Source: short-url.org/1bYPF

2. The Department of Pharmaceuticals has amended its 2023 Pharma-MedTech R&D scheme, earmarking ₹5,000 crore till 2030. Key updates include funding up to ₹100 crore per project, Centres of Excellence at NIPERs, industry-academia collaboration, and priority focus on new drugs, complex generics, biosimilars, and novel medical devices
Source: short-url.org/1gEoB

3. The Reserve Bank of India has announced that banks can now finance acquisitions, with increase in loan limits against listed shares and IPO financing. These steps are expected to boost liquidity, enable smoother strategic deals, and provide corporates greater flexibility in accessing capital.
Source: short-url.org/1bYPm

4. India’s Consumer Affairs Ministry is reportedly scrutinising e-commerce platforms for cash-on-delivery charges and delayed or denied prepaid refunds, practices that may constitute unfair trade or service deficiency. The probe could mandate COD surcharge waivers, stricter refund timelines, and penalties, as withheld payments let platforms earn interest, leaving customers feeling cheated.
Source: short-url.org/1bYPW

5. Private hospitals in Telangana are allegedly paying unqualified Rural Medical Practitioners and Paramedical Practitioners commission amounting to up to 40% of the hospitalisation charges for patient referrals.
Source: short-url.org/1gEoZ

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Reader, We are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

Airlines have to obtain single caterer license and provide invoice containing description of license number for chargeable in-flight meals
India’s food regulator, The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has issued an advisory to flight operators directing them to ensure that they have appropriate license for providing in-flight food. The regulator has also directed flight operators to ensure that appropriate invoice with license number is issued for sale of food, and that both ready-to-serve and pre-packaged food carries appropriate labelling declaration.
Source: bit.ly/48NrSxN

In medical negligence matters, exoneration by medical council will not automatically mean exoneration before consumer forum, especially if contradictory medical evidence has been furnished: Supreme Court
India’s Supreme Court has held that a consumer commission which is deciding a complaint of medical negligence against a medical practitioner, should not solely rely on favourable report from State Medical Council especially if the complainant has submitted contradictory expert testimony from another medical practitioner.
Source: bit.ly/3Isb30J

Import of medicines to get boost from India’s free-trade agreement with four countries of European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Four European Free Trade Association states, namely, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, have signed a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with India for facilitating trade and investment flows. While India has secured soft investment commitments under the Agreement, EFTA states have been given concession on import duty on pharmaceutical products exported to India and have been promised simplified customs procedure.
Source: bit.ly/3TuP8w9

Limits for automatic exemption in combination cases before CCI increased
The Indian government has increased the asset and turnover thresholds for automatic exemption under India’s anti-trust regulations. For claiming the exemptions from prior approval requirement, the value of assets being acquired should be Rs. 450 crores as opposed earlier threshold of Rs. 350 crores. Similarly, the turnover should be Rs. 1250 crores as opposed earlier threshold of Rs 1000 crores.
Source: bit.ly/3VaYle6

Electrical appliances for hair and skin care would require Indian Standard Marks for sale in India from 4th March 2025
The Department for Promotion and Industry and Internal Trade has published a Quality Control Order (QCO) which makes it mandatory for importers and manufacturers of skin and hair electrical appliances to obtain an Indian Standard Mark (IS mark) from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in order to be able to sell in India. BIS grants rights to use IS Mark after testing and inspection of products and manufacturing facilities, both in India and abroad, and charges a fee on the products sold.
Source: bit.ly/4c8wSzW