DGFT Fixes Four New SIONs for Doxycycline and Clobetasol Exports Under Advance Authorisation

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has fixed four new Standard Input-Output Norms (SIONs) for widely exported pharmaceutical formulations. Public Notice No. 36/2026-27, dated 23 October 2026, issued under paragraph 1.03 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, adds norms for three doxycycline tablet variants and for clobetasol propionate under the "Chemical and Allied Product" group (Product Code 'A'). For pharma exporters using the Advance Authorisation scheme, the new norms mean faster, more predictable duty-free import of the key inputs needed to manufacture these products for export.

What Happened

A SION is a standardised benchmark that tells Regional Authorities how much of a given input is required to produce one unit of an export product. When a SION exists for your product, you can obtain an Advance Authorisation to import that input duty-free against an export obligation — without having to establish the input-output ratio from scratch each time. Public Notice 36/2026-27 fixes four such norms:

• A-3715, A-3716, A-3717 — doxycycline tablets. Three tablet variants (50 mg / 100s, 100 mg / 50s, and 100 mg / 500s). Each norm ties one unit of the export product to doxycycline USP (monohydrate) as the imported input — 54.84 mg for A-3715 and 109.68 mg for the other two.
• A-3718 — clobetasol propionate (BP/EP/USP). One kilogram of the export product is tied to 1.08 kg of betamethasone 17-propionate as the imported input.

DGFT states the norms are meant to help Regional Authorities issue these Advance Authorisations more quickly and apply the input-output ratios consistently.

Why This Matters

Doxycycline (a broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic) and clobetasol propionate (a potent topical corticosteroid) are staple products for India's generic-formulation exporters. Before a product-specific SION exists, an exporter wanting duty-free inputs must apply on an ad hoc norms basis, where the Norms Committee fixes the ratio case by case — a slower, less certain route that can hold up authorisations and tie up working capital in duty deposits or bank guarantees. A published SION removes that uncertainty: the ratio is fixed, the Regional Authority can act on it directly, and the exporter's planning becomes far more predictable.

Who Benefits

Exporters of doxycycline tablets (50 mg and 100 mg presentations) and clobetasol propionate (BP/EP/USP grade) who import, respectively, doxycycline USP (monohydrate) and betamethasone 17-propionate as manufacturing inputs. Contract manufacturers and loan-licensees supplying these formulations for export stand to gain the same processing speed.

What Exporters Should Do Now

• Match your product to the right SION. Confirm whether your presentation maps to A-3715, A-3716 or A-3717 (doxycycline) or A-3718 (clobetasol) before filing.
• Reconcile your bill of materials. Check that your actual input consumption is within the fixed norm; the SION sets the duty-free entitlement, and excess consumption is not covered.
• Switch from ad hoc to the fixed SION. If you previously applied on an ad hoc norms basis for these products, use the new SION for faster processing on fresh authorisations.
• Keep input quality records. The norms specify grades (doxycycline USP monohydrate; betamethasone 17-propionate; clobetasol BP/EP/USP). Retain certificates of analysis to show the imported input matches.
• Plan the export obligation. Advance Authorisation carries an export-obligation period and value-addition requirement — map your shipment schedule to meet it.

The Bigger Picture

India is the world's largest supplier of generic medicines by volume, and the Advance Authorisation scheme is central to keeping that supply chain duty-neutral on imported APIs and intermediates. DGFT periodically adds SIONs as export baskets evolve; each new norm reduces reliance on case-by-case adjudication and signals which products the government expects to see growing export volumes. For pharma exporters, a steadily expanding SION list is a quiet but real efficiency gain.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a SION, in one line? A published input-output ratio that lets you import a specified input duty-free under Advance Authorisation against an export obligation, without fixing the ratio case by case.

Which products do these norms cover? Three doxycycline tablet variants (A-3715/16/17) and clobetasol propionate BP/EP/USP (A-3718).

I used to apply on an ad hoc basis for doxycycline. Should I switch? Yes — using the fixed SION should be faster and more predictable than the ad hoc norms route for fresh authorisations.

Does the SION cover all my input costs? No. It fixes the duty-free entitlement for the specified input at the stated ratio. Consumption beyond the norm is not covered, and you must still meet the scheme's value-addition and export-obligation conditions.

Conclusion

Public Notice 36/2026-27 is a targeted efficiency measure: four new SIONs that let doxycycline and clobetasol exporters obtain Advance Authorisations faster and with less case-by-case friction. Exporters of these formulations should map their products to the right norm and move fresh applications onto the fixed SION.

This article is for general guidance only and is not legal advice. Verify the exact norms, input grades and ratios in Public Notice No. 36/2026-27 on the official DGFT portal (dgft.gov.in) before filing an Advance Authorisation application.