Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission Named WHO-SEARN Centre of Excellence

The IPC said it will continue supporting WHO-SEARN initiatives by sharing technical expertise, promoting regulatory excellence and advancing collaborative programmes that improve medicine safety across the region.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has been recognised as the World Health Organization South-East Asia Regulatory Network (WHO-SEARN) Regional Centre of Excellence in Pharmacovigilance and the Technical Centre in Quality, marking a significant milestone in India's efforts to strengthen medicine regulation and public health across the region.

The recognition was announced during the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN), held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 4 and 5 August 2026. The meeting brought together representatives from national regulatory authorities, pharmacopoeias and international organisations to review a decade of regional cooperation and discuss ways to strengthen the regulation of medical products.

IPC showcases India's regulatory achievements

The Indian delegation was led by Dr. V. Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of the IPC, along with senior scientific officers Dr. Jai Prakash, Dr. Robin Kumar and Arvind Kumar Sharma.

During the meeting, the IPC presented India's ongoing work to improve pharmaceutical quality and regulatory standards. The delegation highlighted the development and publication of the Indian Pharmacopoeia, the establishment of Indian Pharmacopoeia Reference Substances (IPRS) and Impurity Reference Standards (IMPRS), as well as the country's pharmacovigilance and materiovigilance programmes that monitor the safety of medicines and medical devices.

Officials also outlined capacity-building initiatives and collaborations with national and international organisations aimed at improving regulatory systems and expanding access to safe, quality-assured medicines.

Recognition reflects regional leadership

The designation as WHO-SEARN Regional Centre of Excellence in Pharmacovigilance and Technical Centre in Quality acknowledges the IPC's sustained contribution to strengthening medicine safety systems, promoting pharmaceutical quality standards and supporting regulatory capacity-building across the South-East Asia Region.

The recognition also reinforces India's growing role in pharmacopoeial science and regulatory harmonisation, with the IPC expected to play a greater role in knowledge sharing, technical cooperation and the development of common standards among member countries.

Focus on stronger regional cooperation

The anniversary meeting provided an opportunity for experts to exchange experiences on emerging regulatory challenges, including medicine quality assurance, pharmacovigilance, medical device regulation, digital transformation and regulatory reliance.

Participants discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between countries to improve access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products while building more resilient regulatory systems.

Commitment to public health

The IPC said it will continue supporting WHO-SEARN initiatives by sharing technical expertise, promoting regulatory excellence and advancing collaborative programmes that improve medicine safety across the region.

Officials said the latest recognition reflects India's continued commitment to strengthening healthcare regulation and ensuring that people across South-East Asia have access to high-quality, safe and effective medical products.