How to Get a Drug Licence Online in India: Step-by-Step

For which licence type and form applies to your specific business, see our drug licence reference guide. This post focuses entirely on the mechanics of the online process itself, and our setup guide covers where this fits in the wider process of opening a pharmacy.

Step 1: Create your account on the right portal

Start at ONDLS, the Online National Drugs Licensing System at statedrugs.gov.in, or your state's own food and drug administration portal if it runs a separate system. Registering creates a user ID and password tied to your firm's details, and this login is what every later step happens under.

Some states also reference a central SUGAM portal alongside ONDLS. Confirm which specific portal your state actually processes applications through before registering, since creating an account on the wrong system wastes the registration step entirely and means starting over on the correct one.

Step 2: Select the correct application form

Retail and wholesale licences use Form 19. Restricted licence categories use Form 19A, and homeopathic drug licences use a separate Form 19C, each with its own specific eligibility and document requirements rather than being minor variants of the same form.

Choosing the wrong form at this stage is one of the more common process errors, since the portal itself won't necessarily stop you from selecting the wrong category before you've invested time filling it out.

If you're unsure which form matches your business, the safest step is confirming with your state Drug Control office directly before proceeding, rather than guessing from a generic online description and discovering the mismatch only when the file is reviewed weeks later.

Step 3: Upload your documents correctly

Documents must be scanned in black and white at 100 dpi specifically, a technical requirement that trips up applicants who scan in colour or at a different resolution by default, since most scanning software's out-of-box settings don't match this. Required uploads typically include the site layout plan, proof of firm constitution, pharmacist credentials and registration, proof of premises, and the refrigerator or cold-storage equipment invoice.

Prepare every document before starting the online session rather than mid-application, since most state systems expect a continuous filing rather than a save-and-resume workflow spread across several days. Our documents checklist lists every document in full, including the state-specific formatting variations for each.

Step 4: Pay the fee through the integrated gateway

Fees are paid online through the portal's own integrated payment gateway rather than through a separate bank transfer or offline channel, and the transaction receipt this generates is itself a required document elsewhere in the application, not simply a personal record to keep.

Save it immediately rather than assuming it can be retrieved later from the portal, since not every state system makes past receipts easy to re-download once the session ends.

Government fees vary by state and licence type, commonly cited around ₹3,000 as a base figure, though this doesn't include any inspection charges some states add separately. Confirm the exact current fee on your specific state's portal before paying, since fee schedules are revised periodically and a blog post, including this one, is never the authoritative source for the number on the day you file.

Step 5: The physical premises inspection

Once your online application is submitted and the fee paid, a local Drug Inspector schedules and conducts a physical visit to your premises, checking the actual floor measurements against what your application claims, verifying cold-chain appliances are genuinely present and functional, and reviewing original documents against the scanned copies already uploaded.

This is where an application that looked complete on paper can still stall, if the premises don't match the application or a document original doesn't match its scan. Being present and prepared for this visit, with all originals on hand and the premises actually set up as described in the application rather than still under construction, is what moves a file from inspection to approval without a second visit being needed.

Schedule the inspection only once the premises is genuinely ready, since a failed first inspection means waiting for a second appointment rather than simply correcting an issue on the spot.

Step 6: Receive your digitally signed certificate

Once the inspection is passed, the licensing authority issues a digitally signed certificate directly through the portal, which is the final, legally valid form of the licence. There is no separate physical document to collect from an office in most current state systems.

The digital certificate downloaded from the portal is the licence itself, and it should be saved in more than one place given how central it is to legally operating at all. Keep it accessible and renew it before expiry, since a drug licence is valid for a defined period rather than issued permanently, and letting it lapse recreates the exact non-compliance exposure of never having applied in the first place.

What's the most common reason this online process stalls?

Incomplete or incorrectly formatted document uploads are the single most common stalling point in getting a drug licence online, ahead of anything happening at the inspection stage. A file that reaches inspection with the paperwork already correct moves quickly.

One with a document technicality unresolved often needs a second round, adding weeks to the timeline. Restarting fees is a real possibility depending on how the state handles a returned file, which is one more reason the upload step deserves more care than it usually gets.

Can consultants file this application on your behalf?

Yes. Many first-time applicants use a filing consultant or agency to handle document formatting and portal navigation, paying a service fee on top of government charges. This is a legitimate shortcut, not a compliance risk in itself, provided the consultant files accurately. You remain legally responsible regardless of who clicked submit.

Whether you file directly or through a consultant, the underlying six steps above don't change, and understanding them yourself is what lets you judge whether a consultant is doing the job properly rather than simply trusting the process blindly.

Sources

1. 1ONDLS - Online National Drugs Licensing System — Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and State Drug Regulatory Authorities
2. 2How to Apply — Department of Drugs Control, Government of NCT of Delhi
3. 3Procedures for Obtaining Licences — Department of Drugs Control, Government of NCT of Delhi
4. 4Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation — Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945
5. 5Pharmacy Council of India — registration requirements under the Pharmacy Act, 1948

This article is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Portal names, forms and fees vary by state and change without notice. Verify the current process on ONDLS or your state's drug control portal before applying.