New Delhi, June 2 -- The Centre has overhauled the fee structure for the testing of drugs, vaccines and traditional medicines at government laboratories for the first time in a decade, sharply raising charges to align them with the rising cost of advanced biomedical analysis. The revised rates, which are two to four times higher in many cases, aim to strengthen the capacity of government testing facilities and support stricter quality oversight across the pharmaceutical sector.

As per the new fee structure detailed in a government order dated 22 May 2026, which was seen by Mint, the new rates will come into force across the country from August 2026. Manufacturing units and testing facilities will thus have three months to align their fin...