August 23, 2013
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has approved the removal of any mention of animal tests from the country's cosmetics standard. The use of modern non-animal alternative tests also becomes mandatory, replacing invasive tests on animals.
Any manufacturer interested in testing new cosmetic ingredients or finished products must first seek approval from India's Central Drug Standards Control Organisation. A manufacturer will be given approval to test only after complying with the BIS non-animal standards.
More than 1,200 companies around the world have banned all animal tests in favor of effective, modern non-animal tests, but many still choose to subject animals to testing. India is the first country in South Asia to ban the testing of cosmetics and its ingredients on animals.