The central drug regulator has cancelled the registration and import permit of the e-commerce app Kult for allegedly violating certain rules of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. The order issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) said that it has observed that the market labels of 50 cosmetic products sold by Kult didn’t match the labels which were approved by the regulator.
Subsequently, the CDSCO issued a show cause notice (SCN) to firm but the notice was returned as it could not be delivered by postal authorities due to non-existence of the firm on the registered address.
What did CDSCO say?
“According to the provisions of Cosmetics Rules, as per the registration certificates issued, the manufacturer/authorised agent/importer/distributor in India shall inform the licensing authority within 30 days in the event of change in labelling or composition along with an undertaking that the products comply with standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards,” the CDSCO notice stated.
Additionally, the CDSCO said that the current rules mandate that in case of change in name or address of the registration holder or overseas manufacturer (after the grant of registration), an application has to be submitted on an online portal to seek approval from the CDSCO within 60 days from the date of such change.
“The CDSCO zonal office attempted to deliver the communication letter personally to the registered address of the firm. However, the office of the said firm was not found at the above-mentioned address,” the notice said.
Previous cancellations
In December 2025, the regulator had cancelled the registration issued to hair loss treatment cosmetic product from Mumbai-based Esthetic Centres International for alleged violation of the provisions under the Cosmetics Rules.
The Rule 36 of the Cosmetics Rules allows the regulator to cancel registration if the importer of a cosmetic product makes claim or convey any idea which is misleading to the end consumers.
Founded in 2019, Kult is an app-based beauty platform for personalised skincare recommendations. Last year, the start-up had raised $20 million (Rs 170 crore) in Series A funding from M3M family office and investment firm Venture Catalysts.