Regulatory Agency of India
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), which operates under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, oversees the India medical device regulations.
Medical Device Definition
Medical Device:
- Substances used for in vitro diagnosis and surgical dressings, surgical bandages, surgical staples, surgical sutures, ligatures, blood and blood component collection bag with or without anticoagulant under sub-clause (i) (Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940).
- Substances including mechanical contraceptives (condoms, intrauterine devices, tubal rings), disinfectants and insecticides notified in the Official Gazette under sub-clause (ii) (Drugs and
Cosmetics Act, 1940). - Devices notified from time to time under sub-clause (iv), of clause (b) of section 3 of the Act (Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940).
Medical Device Classifications A, B, C, D in India
| International Classification | Risk Level | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | Low risk | Elastic bandages, Hot water bags, Sphygmomanometer (divided into Sterile and Measuring AND Non-Sterile and Non-measuring) |
| Class B | Low moderate risk | Blood glucose monitoring devices, Nebulizers, Wheelchairs. |
| Class C | Moderate high risk | X-Ray machines, Infusion pumps, MRI machines. |
| Class D | High risk | Heart valves, Implanted pacemakers, Artificial joints. |
India Medical Device Regulatory Approval Process
Classification |
Approval procedure |
||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class A Class B Class C Class D |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Note: Loan license means a license issued for manufacturing a medical device by the State Licensing Authority or the Central Licensing Authority, as the case may be, to a person who intends to utilize the manufacturing site of another licensee for manufacturing the same medical device as manufactured by the licensee at that site. |
|||||||||||||||||||
Additional Information on India Regulations for Medical Devices
Approval timeline |
Class A:
Class B:
Class C and Class D:
|
License validity period |
Does not expire if the license retention fee is paid (every 5 years) |
Fees |
Class A or Class B:
Class C or Class D:
|
Need more Information?
Start Simplifying Regulatory Management and Accelerating Your Approvals
Discover how RegDesk RIMS can transform your regulatory information management.
In your personalized demo, you’ll see:
- How to centralize and streamline your regulatory processes.
- Tools that simplify submissions and ensure long term compliance.
- Real-world results from companies using RegDesk RIMS to bring products to market faster.

