How to verify an Indian pharmaceutical exporter: UK guide

Some Indian exporters approach UK pharmacies, clinics and wholesalers directly. This guide explains what UK law expects of you as the buyer, and how to check an exporter's Indian registrations using the official registers before you go any further.

What UK law requires before you import or wholesale medicines

In Great Britain the rules are set by the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and enforced by the MHRA. The licence you need depends on what you do with the product.

This guide covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland follows different rules under the Windsor Framework, so buyers in Northern Ireland should check the MHRA's import guidance for Northern Ireland^[5].

• Wholesale dealing, or holding stock for that purpose, needs a wholesale dealer's licence^[2].
• Importing a medicine into Great Britain from a country that is not on the approved country for import list needs a manufacturer's licence of the appropriate type. The list is based on EEA countries, and India is not on it^[1][4][5].
• A medicine sold or supplied in the UK must hold a UK marketing authorisation, or be supplied as an unlicensed medicine under the specials rules^[3][6].
• Importing an unlicensed medicine from a non-approved country also needs a manufacturer's specials licence, and the MHRA must be notified before you import. You can go ahead only if the MHRA does not object^[5].
• If the product is a controlled drug, the Home Office must issue a licence for the import, in addition to the MHRA licences above^[7][8].
• Licensed wholesalers and importers must follow Good Distribution Practice and name a Responsible Person^[9].

If you are a pharmacy or clinic

Pharmacies and clinics normally buy from UK wholesalers that already hold these licences. Buying directly from an overseas exporter makes you the importer, so the licences in the previous section apply to you. Registered pharmacies appear on the GPhC register^[10].

For how UK law treats specific medicines often listed by Indian export portals, see our pages on modafinil, pregabalin and zopiclone.

How to check a GSTIN

Every business registered for Goods and Services Tax in India has a 15-character GSTIN. The first two digits are the state code, the next ten characters are the business's PAN (its income tax number), and the last three are an entity number, a default letter and a check character.

Search the GSTIN on the GST portal's taxpayer search^[11]. The result shows the legal name, trade name, registration status, date of registration and constitution of business. Compare each one with what the exporter has told you. The portal asks you to complete a captcha, so this is a manual check.

How to check an Import Export Code and company records

Indian businesses need an Import Export Code (IEC) from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to export. Newer IECs are the same as the business's PAN. Older ones are ten-digit numbers. You can look up an IEC on the DGFT website^[12].

Where the IEC is in PAN format, it should match characters 3 to 12 of the GSTIN. If it does not, ask the exporter why. There can be ordinary explanations, such as an IEC held by a related company or a change in how the business is constituted.

If the exporter is a private limited company or an LLP, its company number, status and current directors are on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs master data search^[13].

Records for the exporters in our dataset are on their profiles, for example dropshipperindia.com and castorlifecare.com. Each fact is labelled with how it was sourced.

What a declared turnover band does and does not tell you

Many export portals show an annual turnover band, such as ₹25 to 100 crore. These bands are declared by the business itself on B2B marketplace profiles and are not audited figures.

A turnover band says nothing about whether the business holds an Indian drug licence, follows Good Manufacturing Practice, or is allowed to export a particular medicine. At most it is a consistency check: a business registered for GST only months ago that declares a very high turnover is worth asking about.

Warning signs worth a closer look

None of these proves wrongdoing on its own. Each is a reason to ask more questions and check the official registers before you commit.

• The IEC does not match the PAN within the GSTIN, or the legal name on the GST portal differs from the trading name you were given.
• The website is a product catalogue with no drug licence numbers, manufacturing site details or certificates that you can check.
• The same GSTIN or IEC appears on several differently branded websites.
• Payment is requested outside any platform, or to an account in a name other than the business you are dealing with.
• The seller offers to ship prescription medicines or controlled drugs to individuals, or does not mention the import licences described above.

When to ask us for a verification

If you are about to sign a supply agreement, place a first order or answer an approach from an exporter you have not dealt with before, you can request a verification. We check the GSTIN, IEC and company records on the official registers and tell you what we found and how confident we are in each point. It is a records check, not a recommendation or a substitute for your own licensing obligations.

Common questions

Can a UK pharmacy buy medicines directly from an Indian exporter?

Only with the right licences. Importing from India, which is not on the approved country for import list, needs an MHRA manufacturer's licence, and the medicine must have a UK marketing authorisation or be supplied under the specials rules. Most pharmacies buy from licensed UK wholesalers instead.

Does a valid GSTIN mean an exporter is licensed to sell medicines?

No. A GSTIN shows that a business is registered for tax in India. It says nothing about drug licences, manufacturing standards or permission to export a particular medicine.

What does it mean if the IEC does not match the GSTIN?

A PAN-format IEC should match characters 3 to 12 of the GSTIN. A mismatch is a data discrepancy worth asking about. It can have ordinary explanations and is not evidence of wrongdoing by itself.

Can controlled drugs be imported from India?

Only under a Home Office import licence issued for the consignment, in addition to the MHRA licences that apply to any medicine import.

Sources

1. Human Medicines Regulations 2012, reg. 17 (manufacturer's licence) · checked 23 October 2026
2. Human Medicines Regulations 2012, reg. 18 (wholesale dealer's licence) · checked 23 October 2026
3. Human Medicines Regulations 2012, reg. 46 (marketing authorisation) · checked 23 October 2026
4. MHRA: List of approved countries for authorised human medicines · checked 23 October 2026
5. MHRA: Import a human medicine · checked 23 October 2026
6. MHRA: Supply unlicensed medicinal products (specials) · checked 23 October 2026
7. Home Office: Controlled drugs licences, fees and returns · checked 23 October 2026
8. Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 · checked 23 October 2026
9. MHRA: Good manufacturing practice and good distribution practice · checked 23 October 2026
10. General Pharmaceutical Council registers · checked 23 October 2026
11. GST portal: Search taxpayer · checked 23 October 2026
12. Directorate General of Foreign Trade · checked 23 October 2026
13. Ministry of Corporate Affairs · checked 23 October 2026

General information, not legal advice. See our methodology and corrections policy.