CIB&RC · Non-insecticidal use
Boric acid is a scheduled insecticide in India. Every import for industrial, cosmetic or pharmaceutical use needs prior permission from CIB&RC.
Do I need a permit to import boric acid into India?
Yes. Boric acid is listed in the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968, so all imports require an import permit from CIB&RC — including imports for glass, ceramics, enamel, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, metallurgy and detergents, where the material is never used as an insecticide.
Regulatory update · current as at September 2026
The non-insecticidal import permit regime changed in July 2026. Gazette notification G.S.R. 597(E) dated 8 July 2026 notified the Insecticides Third (Amendment) Rules, 2026, inserting a new Chapter III-A into the Insecticides Rules, 1971 titled “Manner of Import of an Insecticide for Non-Insecticidal Purpose”, together with a new clause in Rule 4. The Registration Committee accepted the terms and conditions at its 474th meeting on 30 July 2026, and DPPQ&S issued an implementing public notice on 6 August 2026. Applications are now made in Form IA with a fee of Rs. 5,000. Pages describing the older, discretionary process are out of date.
Why boric acid is regulated as an insecticide
Boric acid has genuine insecticidal properties and is used in cockroach and ant control. Because the Insecticides Act, 1968 regulates by substance rather than by application, its listing in the Schedule captures every import of the chemical, whatever the buyer intends to do with it.
The practical consequence is that a ceramics manufacturer, a cosmetics formulator and a pest control product company all apply through the same route — but they are assessed very differently. Non-insecticidal applicants must prove that the material will be consumed in a declared industrial process and will not reach the pest control market.
Common non-insecticidal end uses
- Borosilicate glass, fibreglass and ceramic glazes
- Enamels, frits and porcelain
- Cosmetics and personal care formulations
- Pharmaceutical and ophthalmic preparations
- Electroplating, metallurgy and fluxes
- Detergents, cleaning agents and fire retardants
- Wood preservation and leather processing
- Nuclear applications and laboratory reagents
What determines whether your application succeeds
Chemistry is rarely the obstacle. Three things decide the outcome:
1. The credibility of the end-use declaration
The application must describe the manufacturing process in which boric acid is consumed, at a level of detail that lets the Secretariat verify the claim. A one-line statement that the material is for "industrial use" will draw a query. Process flow diagrams, product specifications and the stage at which boric acid enters the process are what close the point.
2. Proportionality of the quantity
The quantity applied for must be defensible against your installed capacity and consumption pattern. Applicants who request a round number well above their historic usage invite scrutiny. Support the figure with production data, per-batch consumption and, for repeat applicants, a utilisation statement against the previous permit.
3. Source documentation that matches the shipment
The permit names the overseas manufacturer and shipper. If your proforma invoice names a trading house while the certificate of analysis names a different producer, the file will stall. Resolve the supply chain on paper before filing.
Documents required
- Application in the prescribed form to the Secretary, CIB&RC
- Certificate of incorporation, GST registration and Importer Exporter Code
- Factory licence or industrial registration evidencing the manufacturing operation
- Detailed end-use write-up with process flow and consumption per unit of output
- Notarised affidavit undertaking non-diversion to insecticidal use
- Manufacturer's certificate of analysis and specification sheet
- Safety data sheet
- Proforma invoice naming manufacturer, shipper, quantity and country of origin
- Utilisation statement against any previous permit
Where importers most often go wrong
| Mistake | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Shipping before the permit is granted | Consignment held at port; demurrage; no guarantee of regularisation |
| Quantity requested far above demonstrable consumption | Query or reduction of the approved quantity |
| Trader named as source instead of the actual manufacturer | Permit does not match shipping documents at clearance |
| Treating the permit as annual and renewable automatically | Lapse of validity with stock still to ship |
| Using non-insecticidal material for pest control products | Contravention of the Act with penal consequences |
How JDR handles boric acid permits
We have filed boric acid import permits across glass, ceramics, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and metallurgical end uses. Our work covers end-use substantiation, quantity justification, source documentation, filing, query response and subsequent amendments where the supply chain changes.
Form IA: what the application must contain
Chapter III-A prescribes Form IA, addressed to the Registration Committee. Unlike the previous practice, the content is now specified rather than left to the applicant's judgement. Form IA requires:
| Field | What is required |
|---|---|
| Applicant | Name and address of the applicant |
| Premises | Address where the imported insecticide will be stored or used |
| Substance | The insecticide and its minimum purity |
| Source | Source of import |
| End product | The product manufactured using the imported material |
| Capacity | Licensed and installed production capacity |
| Technical function | The function the insecticide performs in the manufacturing process, and the percentage required |
| Quantity | Proposed annual import quantity |
| Facility evidence | Valid industrial licence or other specified evidence of the manufacturing facility |
| Environmental | Pollution Control Board clearance or consent |
| Historical usage | Quantity imported and consumed in each of the previous three financial years, with the corresponding production of the final product |
| Affidavit | Self-certified affidavit supporting the quantity requested |
Two additional declarations, depending on destination
- Material for domestic consumption — a declaration certified by the jurisdictional Industrial Health and Safety Office confirming that the imported insecticide will be stored separately from other materials, to avoid poisoning.
- Material for export — details of the foreign buyer, and an advance licence where applicable.
The applicant must certify that the imported material is not intended for sale but for the applicant's own stated requirement. Incorrect information can result in cancellation of the import permit, with the applicant bearing the resulting losses and responsibility.
The 30% rule — the provision most applicants miss
This is the single most consequential change for importers scaling up. Where the quantity proposed for import exceeds the average consumption of the previous three years by more than 30%, the application must carry detailed justification from the Nodal Ministry, Department, or State Department of Industry for the additional quantity.
Obtaining that justification is a separate administrative exercise with its own lead time, and it is outside the Registration Committee's control. In practice this means a company planning a significant capacity expansion should start the Nodal Ministry justification before, not after, filing Form IA. Applicants who discover the requirement at the query stage routinely lose a full quarter.
Statutory timelines and permit validity
| Provision | Position under Chapter III-A |
|---|---|
| Application | Form IA to the Registration Committee |
| Fee | Rs. 5,000 |
| Disposal of a complete application | Preferably within 45 days, extendable by up to 15 further days |
| Processing target stated in the guidelines | Preferably 30 days, or 4–6 weeks subject to the Registration Committee meeting calendar, from receipt of a complete application through the online portal |
| Standard permit validity | One year |
| Validity where the applicant holds a registration certificate for the pesticide in which the imported material is used as raw material | Three years |
| Incomplete applications | May be rejected without prior notice |
The three-year validity is worth planning around. An importer who also holds a Section 9 registration for the downstream pesticide gets a permit lasting three times as long, which removes two renewal cycles of administrative risk. Where a registration is close to grant, it can be worth sequencing the permit application after it.
Filing route and the reference-material exemption
Applications are filed through the online portal. The CROP portal (Computerised Registration of Pesticides) is the Registration Committee's electronic filing system, and the August 2026 public notice confirms that applications already received through CROP are being scrutinised under the new guidelines — so a pending pre-amendment application is not simply void, but it will be assessed against the new requirements.
One useful exemption: an import permit is not required for unit packs containing 5 grams or less of Certified Reference Material or Reference Standards of insecticides or pesticides. Analytical laboratories importing reference standards in small quantities have often applied unnecessarily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is boric acid banned in India?
No. Boric acid is not banned. It is a scheduled substance under the Insecticides Act, 1968, which means it is controlled — import requires prior permission from CIB&RC, and insecticidal use requires registration.
Can I import boric acid for cosmetics without CIBRC approval?
No. The end use does not remove the substance from the Schedule. A cosmetics manufacturer needs the same CIB&RC import permit as any other importer, applying under the non-insecticidal use route.
How much boric acid can I import on one permit?
The quantity is set by CIB&RC based on your demonstrated consumption and manufacturing capacity, and is stated on the permit. There is no standard maximum.
Do I need a fresh permit for every shipment?
Not necessarily. A permit covers the approved quantity, which may be shipped in more than one consignment within the validity period, provided the source and end use are unchanged.
What is the difference between boric acid and non-boric acid permits?
Boric acid has its own well-established application pathway because of the volume of industrial demand. Other scheduled substances imported for non-insecticidal purposes follow the parallel non-boric acid route, with the same core requirement to substantiate end use.
Reviewed: 22 September 2026 · Reflects the Insecticides Act, 1968 and Insecticides Rules, 1971 as amended, including the Insecticides Third (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 597(E) dated 8 July 2026). General guidance only — confirm current requirements before acting.
Boric acid consignment on the way?
Tell us your end use, annual requirement and supplier. We will tell you what the file needs and how long it realistically takes.
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