India’s apex drug regulator has cancelled all three import registrations of Korean beauty brands importer Skintl Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. after finding that the company used incorrect registration numbers on product labels, stocked items without permits and shifted its warehouse without regulatory approval, according to two officials and a document reviewed by Mint.
The order, issued by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, cancelled the company's import registrations and prohibited it from importing and selling cosmetic products across e-commerce platforms and retail stores with immediate effect.
Central Licensing Authority officials said the lapses breach the rules under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which prohibit the import of misbranded or counterfeit cosmetics.
On 30 March, an inspection team raided the company’s premises in Mahipalpur Extension, New Delhi, following a complaint. In April, the investigation findings revealed statutory defaults spanning labelling errors and physical warehouse operations.
A showcause notice was served to the importer on 27 April 2026. In its reply dated 30 June 2026, the company acknowledged the violations, the document stated.
The order, uploaded on the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) website, stated that the company printed incorrect registration certificate details on product packaging and stocked imported products that did not have valid registration approvals. The order revokes all three registration permissions without linking specific brand names to individual certificate numbers.
The DCGI, in a communication, asked port offices, zonal divisions, and digital portals, to halt customs clearance and sale of affected cosmetic shipments across the country.
Queries sent to the DCGI’s office on Wednesday and Skintl Enterprises on Thursday remained unanswered till press time.
Skintl imports and distributes popular Korean beauty brands, including Beauty of Joseon, Missha, A'Pieu, It's Skin, and Skinfood. However, Mint could not independently ascertain which specific brand was under scrutiny or whose import licensc was cancelled.
Why it matters
The action underscores the importance of compliance in the cosmetics import business amid a rapid growth in India's beauty and skincare market.
India's beauty and grooming market—spanning skincare, haircare, and fragrances—is projected to reach $20 billion by 2030, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation, a trust established by the department of commerce. Driven by a 25% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), the organized sector's market share is expected to expand to 44%, rapidly shifting away from unorganized channels.
"Proper documentation, transparent warehousing and accurate labelling are more than just regulatory boxes to tick, they are promises we make to every customer who puts a product on their skin,” said Deepak Tripathi, co-founder and director of Photonence India Pvt. Ltd., said
Non-matching registration numbers and the shifting of warehouses without approval are the very gaps that responsible importers cannot ignore. "Such cases should be a wake-up call for the entire industry, more so with so many international beauty brands now eyeing India. At the end of the day, customers deserve to know exactly what they are buying and from whom,” Tripathi added.
Dr. Ambika Kumar, dermatologists and cosmetologist at Bengaluru-based SPARSH hospital, said such lapses create issues of traceability, product authentication and safety of consumers. "With increasing imports of cosmetics, especially Korean skincare products in India, companies have to make sure that they maintain complete regulatory compliance related to their labelling, warehouses and import processes.”
“It is also essential that consumers purchase products from authorised sellers and check the labelling details. Ultimately, increased enforcement ensures protection of consumers and trust in India’s rapidly expanding cosmetics industry,” said Kumar.
The Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) 2025 Outlook report indicates that cosmetics and personal care products form the second-largest segment within the direct selling sector, contributing 26% to the industry's record-high turnover of ₹23,021 crore.