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Gujarat FDCA-ONDCP discuss illegal production and export of narcotic & habit-forming drugs
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Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai
August 16 , 2025
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As part of “FDCA Gujarat – US FDA Regulatory Forum”, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Washington DC, USA, and the Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), recently held talks and discussed drug trafficking, information on precursor manufacturers, and the illegal production and export of narcotic and habit-forming drugs derived from pharmaceuticals to the USA.
Under the Forum, the Gujarat FDCA and the US FDA conduct periodic meetings to facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge. The Forum has been established for the past one and a half decades.
As a progressive step in furthering the exchange of information and technical matters, on August 12, 2025, Debbie Seguin, assistant director of the ONDCP, Washington DC, USA, along with her team, visited the Commissioner and officials of Gujarat FDCA, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Gujarat state plays a major role in the export of pharmaceuticals from India to the USA. There are over 150 US FDA-approved manufacturers in Gujarat who are actively engaged in exporting affordable and high-quality medicines to the USA.
During this visit, both teams discussed their respective national drug control strategies, efforts to reduce the use of illegal narcotic and habit-forming drugs, strategies to combat the illicit manufacture and trafficking of drugs, and issues related to drug-related crime and violence — all with a focus on strengthening public health.
Additionally, the Commissioner made a presentation and held discussions on the actions taken by the authority regarding the illegal purchase and sale of narcotic and habit-forming pharmaceutical drugs. The visiting team was highly impressed by the commendable work carried out by the authority.
The Commissioner also stated that this administration, keeping public health as its top priority, has always maintained a strict stance against the trafficking of illegal pharmaceutical drugs and will continue to do so in the future.
"After that, the team want to visit the Director General of Police (DGP) of Gujarat for further discussion on above matter," informed Dr H G Koshia, Gujarat FDCA Commissioner
Previously, several US FDA country directors—(1) Bruce Ross, (2) Matthew Thomas, (3) Altaf Lal, (4) Letitia Robinson, (5) Sarah McMullan, and (6) Greg Smith—have visited this department along with their teams for knowledge sharing, training, capacity building, and exchange of information. The US FDA has also provided training to the drug and food officers of this authority as well as stakeholders in Gujarat's healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
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