Quick answer. On any Indian Ayurvedic supplement, check six things: (1) the manufacturer's name, address and AYUSH manufacturing licence number; (2) the words "Ayurvedic medicine" (or Siddha/Unani); (3) a true ingredient list with botanical names, plant part and quantity; (4) a batch number; (5) the date of manufacture and date of expiry; (6) no disease-cure claims. The first five are legally mandatory under the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules; disease-cure claims are barred under the DMR Act 1954. This is consumer education, not legal advice.
You are holding a jar of churna, a bottle of "immunity juice," or a strip of capsules, and the front of the pack promises the world. The back is where the truth lives, but only if you know which lines are legally required and which are marketing.
This guide explains how to read an Ayurvedic supplement label in India: what the AYUSH licence number actually means, the elements the law forces every pack to carry, the difference between a mandatory licence and a voluntary quality mark, and which health claims are flat-out illegal.
By the end you will be able to scan any ASU (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani) label in under a minute and know what is missing — without overpromising yourself a product that the law never let it make.
The 60-second label scan
Reading an Ayurvedic label is a checklist, not a guess. Turn the pack over and run down these six items in order.
- Manufacturer + AYUSH licence number. A real name and full address, plus a manufacturing licence number issued by a State AYUSH authority. Missing licence number is a red flag.
- The category words. The pack must say "Ayurvedic medicine" (or "Siddha medicine"/"Unani medicine"). This tells you it is an ASU drug, not a generic food.
- True ingredient list. Each plant ingredient should show its botanical name, the plant part used (root, leaf, fruit, stem) and a quantity. "Proprietary blend" with no quantities is a quality warning.
- Batch number. A distinctive batch number, so a recall or lab result can be traced to your pack.
- Manufacturing and expiry dates. Both must be present and legible. Never buy past expiry.
- No disease-cure claims. If the pack promises to cure or heal a named disease, that claim is not legal on an Ayurvedic label — a reason to be cautious about the brand.
The first five elements are mandatory under the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The sixth is governed by a separate advertising law. The rest of this guide unpacks each one.
What the AYUSH licence number means (and what it doesn't)
The AYUSH licence number on a pack is a manufacturing licence, official permission for a specific facility to make that ASU drug. Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani medicines are regulated under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945, and the manufacturing licence is issued by the State Government / State Licensing Authority, not by the central Ministry of AYUSH and not by FSSAI [1]. The central regulator (CDSCO) sits at the national level and is advised by statutory boards; the actual licence comes from the state.
What the number does not tell you: it is not a quality grade, not a clinical endorsement, and not proof that any health claim on the front of the pack is true. It confirms the product is a licensed ASU drug made under a permitted formula — a floor, not a gold star. The voluntary quality marks (covered below) are a separate, higher bar.
So when a label carries a licence number, read it as: this is a properly licensed Ayurvedic medicine. That is meaningful, and many dubious products fail even this basic test. But it is the starting line, not the finish.
The mandatory elements on every ASU label
Indian law spells out exactly what must appear on an Ayurvedic medicine. Rule 161(3) of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 requires the innermost container (and the pack) to show [2]:
- the name of the drug;
- the name and address of the manufacturer;
- the number of the licence under which the drug is manufactured;
- a distinctive batch number;
- the date of manufacture;
- the words "Ayurvedic medicine", "Siddha medicine" or "Unani medicine" as applicable;
- the net content;
- "For external use only" where the product is for external use.
Separately, Rule 161(1) requires a true list of all the ingredients, with the botanical names of the plant ingredients, the part(s) of the plant used, the form, and the quantity of each. This is why a transparent label names Withania somnifera (root), not just "ashwagandha."
The date of expiry sits in its own rule, Rule 161B(1), which mandates that the expiry date be conspicuously displayed and bars sale after that date [3]. So if a pack shows a manufacturing date but no expiry, that is a labelling gap, not a feature.
A quick way to remember the structured-data version of this checklist:
| Element | Where the rule sits | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer name + address | Rule 161(3) | Full, real address, not just a city |
| Manufacturing licence number | Rule 161(3) | A licence no. from a State AYUSH authority |
| "Ayurvedic / Siddha / Unani medicine" | Rule 161(3) | The exact category words |
| True ingredient list | Rule 161(1) | Botanical name + plant part + quantity |
| Batch number | Rule 161(3) | A distinctive, traceable batch code |
| Date of manufacture | Rule 161(3) | Present and legible |
| Date of expiry | Rule 161B(1) | Present; product unsold after this date |
| Net content | Rule 161(3) | Net quantity (g / ml / count) |
If two or three of these are missing, the product may not be a properly labelled licensed ASU drug — and that is reason enough to put it back on the shelf.
AYUSH licence vs AYUSH Premium / Standard Mark vs FSSAI
This is the single most confused area, so it helps to separate the three things people lump together. They are not interchangeable.
| Property | AYUSH manufacturing licence | AYUSH Standard / Premium Mark | FSSAI licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Permission to manufacture an ASU drug | A voluntary quality certification | Licence for products positioned as food / health supplements |
| Mandatory? | Yes, for an Ayurvedic medicine | No, optional | Yes, when the product is sold as a food supplement |
| Issued / owned by | State AYUSH / State Licensing Authority | Ministry of AYUSH, operated by QCI | FSSAI (FoSCoS) |
| What it signals | The product is a licensed ASU drug | Extra GMP-based quality assurance | The product meets food-supplement norms |
| Based on | Drugs & Cosmetics Act & Rules | GMP (Standard Mark) / WHO-GMP for export (Premium Mark) | FSSAI nutraceutical regulations |
The Voluntary Certification Scheme for AYUSH Products is run by the Ministry of AYUSH with the Quality Council of India (QCI) as scheme operator [5]. It issues two marks: the AYUSH Standard Mark (domestic, GMP-based) and the AYUSH Premium Mark (aligned to WHO-GMP, oriented to exports). Because the scheme is voluntary, only a few hundred ASU products across India currently carry either mark — so the absence of an AYUSH Mark does not mean a product is unlicensed; it simply has not gone through this optional, higher-bar certification.
Do Ayurvedic supplements need an FSSAI number too? It depends on positioning. A product sold as an Ayurvedic medicine is governed by the AYUSH/D&C framework. A product positioned as a food or health supplement falls under FSSAI's nutraceutical regulations and needs an FSSAI licence number. Some products straddle the line, which is exactly why reading the category words in step 2 matters so much. (For the full breakdown, see our companion guide on FSSAI vs AYUSH certifications explained.)
Claims that are NOT allowed on an Ayurvedic label
Even a perfectly licensed product cannot legally say anything it likes. The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 prohibits any advertisement (and on-pack claims count as advertisement) that refers to a drug for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease or condition listed in its Schedule [4]. The Act's definition of "drug" covers Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani medicines, and the Schedule names a long list of conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, disorders of menstrual flow and several others.
So these are the kinds of claims that are NOT allowed on an Ayurvedic label (shown here only as examples of what to avoid):
- ❌ "Cures diabetes" / "Cures piles"
- ❌ "Treats / heals PCOS"
- ❌ "Stops hair fall in 7 days" / "Guaranteed regrowth"
- ❌ "Miracle remedy" / "100% results" / "Instant cure"
A compliant Ayurvedic label uses structure-and-function language instead, for example, "supports healthy digestion" or "helps support energy and vitality." When you see a named-disease cure promise on a pack, you are looking at a claim the law does not permit, which tells you something about how carefully that brand reads the rules.
A note on currency: India's advertising rules for AYUSH are actively litigated — for instance, the Supreme Court in March 2025 directed states to enforce the DMR Act more actively, and a related rule on prior approval of AYUSH ad claims has been the subject of ongoing litigation. Treat the framework above as the in-force baseline and verify current status before relying on it for any decision.
How to verify a brand for yourself
You do not have to take a label at face value. Here is a practical verification route.
- Read which state issued the licence. The manufacturing licence number on the pack ties back to a specific State AYUSH authority. In Delhi, for example, that is the Directorate of AYUSH, Government of NCT of Delhi — Drug Control Cell, which acts as the State Licensing Authority [6].
- Cross-check with the issuing directorate. State AYUSH directorates are the authoritative record for licensed manufacturers. Licensing applications and the units database are administered through the Ministry of AYUSH's e-AUSHADHI portal (e-AUSHADHI). Note honestly: e-AUSHADHI is primarily a manufacturer-and-licensing portal, and there is no confirmed slick public consumer "type-a-number-and-verify" lookup. The reliable route is to check or contact the State AYUSH directorate named by the licence, not to assume a one-click search exists.
- Check the voluntary AYUSH Mark, if claimed. If a brand says it holds the AYUSH Standard or Premium Mark, you can look for it on QCI's published list of AYUSH certified clients and products. If the claim is not on QCI's list, ask the brand for documentation.
Verification takes a few minutes, but it converts a leap of faith into a checked fact, which is the whole point of label literacy.
Our take: what a transparent label looks like
At KayaSuddhi, transparency is the point, not a feature we bolted on. A label should make a careful buyer's job easy: the botanical name and plant part on the pack (so you know it is Withania somnifera (root), not a vague "ashwagandha blend"), standardized actives stated as a percentage, a batch number you can trace, and a clear ingredient quantity — exactly the elements the law already asks for, presented so you do not need a magnifying glass.
Our intent is to go a step further where we can (for example, batch-level lab testing you can look up) because a label that hides nothing is the only kind worth trusting. (We follow this through to our sourcing too; see how we source our herbs.)
If you want a single-ingredient example to practise on, our KayaSuddhi Ashwagandha Tablets are formulated with root extract and label the plant part on-pack, designed to support everyday energy and resilience. Use it as a worked example: turn the pack over and run the six-step scan above.
When NOT to rely on a label alone: cautions
A clean label is necessary, but it is not the whole story.
- A licence number is not a clinical endorsement. It confirms a licensed product, not that any front-of-pack benefit applies to you.
- Pregnancy, lactation and children: label literacy does not replace medical advice. If you are pregnant, lactating, or buying for a child, consult a qualified practitioner before starting any supplement.
- Prescription medicines and chronic conditions: some herbs interact with prescription drugs. If you manage a chronic condition or take regular medication, speak to your doctor first.
- A missing element is a stop sign. No licence number, no expiry, no plant part, or a named-disease cure claim — any one of these is reason enough to choose a different product.
This article is consumer education, not legal or medical advice. India's AYUSH advertising and labelling rules are actively litigated and change over time; verify the current status of any rule before relying on it.
Frequently asked questions
What does the AYUSH license number on a product mean?
It is a manufacturing licence number, official permission from a State AYUSH authority for a specific facility to make that Ayurvedic, Siddha or Unani drug under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945. It confirms the product is a licensed ASU medicine. It is not a quality grade, a clinical endorsement, or proof that a front-of-pack health claim is true.
How do I verify if an Ayurvedic company is AYUSH certified?
First, separate two things: the mandatory manufacturing licence (from a State AYUSH authority) and the voluntary AYUSH Standard/Premium Mark (from QCI). For the licence, read which state issued it and cross-check with that State AYUSH directorate. For the voluntary mark, search QCI's published list of certified AYUSH clients and products. If a claim is not on QCI's list, ask the brand for documentation.
Do Ayurvedic supplements need an FSSAI number too?
It depends on positioning. A product sold as an Ayurvedic medicine is governed by the AYUSH / Drugs & Cosmetics framework and carries an AYUSH manufacturing licence. A product positioned as a food or health supplement falls under FSSAI's nutraceutical regulations and needs an FSSAI licence number. Some products straddle the line, which is why the category words on the label ("Ayurvedic medicine" vs food supplement) matter.
What is the AYUSH Premium / AYUSH Standard mark?
They are two tiers of a voluntary certification run by the Ministry of AYUSH with the Quality Council of India (QCI) as operator. The AYUSH Standard Mark signals domestic GMP-based quality. The AYUSH Premium Mark is aligned to WHO-GMP and oriented toward exports. Both are optional and sit above the basic mandatory manufacturing licence. They are an extra assurance, not a legal requirement.
Are all Ayurvedic products AYUSH-certified?
No. Every legally sold Ayurvedic medicine needs a mandatory manufacturing licence from a State AYUSH authority, but the AYUSH Standard / Premium Mark is voluntary. Only a few hundred ASU products across India currently carry either mark. So the absence of an AYUSH Mark does not mean a product is unlicensed. It simply has not gone through that optional, higher-bar certification.
Where can I find AYUSH certification details for a brand?
For the voluntary AYUSH Mark, check QCI's published list of certified AYUSH clients and products. For the manufacturing licence, the authoritative record is the State AYUSH directorate that issued it (the licence shows which state). Licensing is administered through the Ministry of AYUSH's e-AUSHADHI portal, though there is no confirmed one-click public consumer lookup, so the reliable route is to check with the issuing State directorate.
What is batch number and expiry on an Ayurvedic product?
The batch number is a distinctive code identifying the production lot, so a lab result or recall can be traced to your exact pack — it is mandatory under Rule 161(3) of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The date of expiry is mandated separately under Rule 161B(1): it must be conspicuously displayed, and the product cannot be sold after that date. A pack missing either is a labelling gap.
What therapeutic claims are not allowed on Ayurvedic labels?
Under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, an Ayurvedic label cannot claim to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent any disease in the Act's Schedule (which includes diabetes, heart disease, disorders of menstrual flow and more). Compliant labels use structure-and-function language ("supports healthy digestion") instead of named-disease cure promises.
Related reading
- Is Ayurvedic medicine safe long-term?
- How we source our herbs — the KayaSuddhi process
- FSSAI vs AYUSH certifications explained — the companion guide
Sources
- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Government of India. Aayush. https://cdsco.gov.in/opencms/opencms/en/Aayush/
- Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 — Rule 161 (labelling of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs). https://indiankanoon.org/doc/193099376/
- Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 — Rule 161B (date of expiry). https://indiankanoon.org/doc/173589786/
- The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 (Section 3 + Schedule). India Code. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1412
- Quality Council of India (QCI). Voluntary Certification Scheme for AYUSH Products (AYUSH Standard / Premium Mark). https://qcin.org/scheme/voluntary-certification-scheme-for-ayush-products-ayush-mark/
- Directorate of AYUSH, Government of NCT of Delhi — Drug Control Cell (State Licensing Authority). https://ayush.delhi.gov.in/ayush/drug-control-cell
Educational use only — not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by AYUSH or FSSAI as treatment claims. KayaSuddhi products are purely herbal and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results may vary. Please consult your physician or a qualified BAMS-certified Ayurvedic practitioner before starting any new supplement — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on prescription medication, or managing a chronic condition.
Written & researched by
The KayaSuddhi Team
We are a small team of Ayurveda writers, researchers and reviewers in Delhi NCR. We track the health questions real people are asking, read the latest studies, and turn them into honest, practical guides — so you can make informed choices, not follow hype.
