IVF, surrogacy clinics must renew licences under new rules
The Centre has made it mandatory for fertility clinics and semen banks to renew their registration certificates, or licenses, every five years, and for surrogacy
The Centre has made it mandatory for fertility clinics and semen banks to renew their registration certificates, or licenses, every five years, and for surrogacy clinics every three years, by paying a non-refundable fee that can double if payment is not made within the stipulated time. The policy change, according to doctors, establishes a standardized license renewal process for assisted reproductive technology facilities and surrogacy clinics mushrooming in the country. “This will ensure that people upgrade their facilities and services when it is time for renewal. They will step up their services, maintain records better, and improve the quality of their work. Right now, inspection and approval have only been completed in about 20 to 25% of clinics across the country,” said Dr. Archana Dhawan Bajaj, a gynaecologist and in-vitro fertility expert at Nurture Clinic in New Delhi.
All such facilities will now be required to apply online for renewal through the ART and Surrogacy Registry portal at least 60 days before their certificates expire. Semen banks and Level 1 IVF clinics must pay a non-refundable renewal fee of ₹25,000, while Level 2 IVF clinics will be charged ₹1 lakh. Delayed applications will attract double the fee— ₹50,000 for semen banks and Level 1 clinics, and ₹2 lakh for Level 2 clinics. Establishments in government-run institutes are exempted. Detailed framework After an application is submitted, the authorities have 60 days to complete their review. According to the notification, the certificate will be renewed if, following an inspection, the applicant is found to have complied with the requirements of the Act and the rules framed under it. Applications found deficient may be rejected, but only after the applicant is given an opportunity to be heard.
Once approved, the renewed registration will remain valid for five years, and the certificate must be displayed prominently at the clinic or bank's premises. If a rejected application is later resubmitted in compliance with the rules, no additional renewal fee will be charged. Also Read | HealthQuad announces ₹550 crore first close of Fund III The notification also states that all renewal fees collected will be deposited into a bank account operated by the appropriate authority and used to implement the provisions of the Act. Mint's queries emailed to the health ministry spokesperson on Tuesday remained unanswered. Expanding market Industry estimates value the country's reproductive health market at around $900 million, with a network of more than 5,000 fertility clinics, as of 2024 and project it to nearly double to $1.874 billion by 2029.
The BriefWire