CIB&RC · Import registration
Registering imported technical grade active or finished formulation for sale in India — where the supply chain on paper has to match the containers that actually arrive.
What is TI and FI registration?
TI is registration of technical grade active ingredient imported into India; FI is registration of an imported finished formulation. Both are granted under Section 9 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 on application in Form I, and both tie the registration to a named source of import. The certificate issued in Form II records that source.
Which of the two you need
| Category | What you import | Typical business model |
|---|---|---|
| TI — Technical, Import | Technical grade active ingredient | Import technical, formulate in India, sell the formulation |
| FI — Formulation, Import | Finished formulation, ready for sale | Import and distribute a finished product |
Most companies importing technical also need an FIM registration for the formulation they make from it. A TI registration alone permits the technical to be imported and registered; it does not authorise the downstream formulation. Mapping the full set of registrations your supply chain requires — before filing the first one — prevents the common situation where a company holds a registration but still cannot lawfully perform the next step in its own process.
Source is written into the registration
This is what separates import registration from indigenous manufacture in practice. The certificate names the source of import, and CIB&RC's checklist directs customs to allow import only where the material originates from that named source. Where a supplier is also named, the material must route through that supplier and cannot ship directly from the source.
Three consequences follow, and all three catch importers:
- Switching supplier is a regulatory act, not a commercial one. A new source requires a fresh equivalence assessment and an application.
- Group structures need mapping before the first shipment. If your manufacturing affiliate and your invoicing entity differ, both need to appear correctly.
- Any change of name or address requires endorsement obtained before the import. A supplier renamed after a merger is enough to hold a container.
What a TI or FI dossier must establish
- Identity and manufacturing process of the technical at the named source
- Five-batch analysis establishing the impurity profile of your material
- Chemical equivalence with the already-registered reference source, where the route is Section 9(4)
- Specification conforming to the applicable standard
- Validated analytical methods for active and impurities
- Physico-chemical properties
- Storage stability and shelf life in the proposed packaging
- Packaging specification and compatibility
- For FI, the full formulation composition and its specification
- Label and leaflet conforming to the Insecticides Rules, 1971 — seven copies with the Form I application
The decision that sets the budget
Whether the same insecticide is already registered in India determines whether you file under Section 9(4) as a me-too application or Section 9(3) as a new product. The difference is months versus years, and a data package focused on your source versus a full bio-efficacy, toxicology and residue programme.
Establish this before anything else. It is the cheapest analysis in the project and the one that determines everything downstream.
Where import registrations stall
| Cause | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Impurity profile diverges from the reference source | Screen five-batch data before signing the supply agreement |
| Proforma invoice names a trader, CoA names a different producer | Resolve the supply chain on paper before filing |
| Five-batch data from a facility whose output is not accepted | Confirm laboratory acceptability before placing the work |
| Label claim wider than the registered product | Draft the label against the approved claim, not against marketing ambition |
| Shelf-life data does not support the claimed period | Design the stability programme around the shelf life you need commercially |
How JDR handles TI and FI registrations
We screen the source for equivalence before you commit, manage the five-batch and stability programmes with accredited laboratories, prepare the specification and analytical methods, draft the label and leaflet, file the Form I dossier and carry it through query rounds. Where a company needs linked TI and FIM registrations, we sequence them so the supply chain becomes lawful in the right order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between TI and FI?
TI is registration of imported technical grade active ingredient; FI is registration of an imported finished formulation. Which you need follows from what physically crosses the border. Companies importing technical and formulating in India generally need TI plus an FIM registration for the formulation.
Can I import from more than one supplier on one registration?
The registration names the source of import. Adding a second source requires a separate equivalence assessment and application. Where supply security matters, it is worth establishing a second approved source proactively rather than after the first fails.
Do I need a separate import permit as well as registration?
Not for insecticidal use. A valid certificate of registration covers import of the registered product from the named source. An import permit is the route for non-insecticidal use, which is a different application entirely — now made in Form IA under Chapter III-A.
How long does TI or FI registration take?
Where Section 9(4) is available and the source is compliant, months rather than years. The usual cause of a file running long is a source equivalence problem discovered late, not the regulatory process itself.
Can a foreign manufacturer hold the registration?
No. The applicant must be an Indian entity — a subsidiary or an authorised Indian representative — which submits the data and carries responsibility for compliance.
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.
Importing technical or formulation into India?
Send us the molecule, your intended source and their five-batch data. We will confirm the route and screen equivalence before you commit.
Talk to Our Regulatory Team