With more than 75 days have passed, the Union Health Ministry has swung into action wanting to implement the ban on the manufacture, sale, distribution and import of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)

Once approved, the provision will be a part of the Drug and Cosmetics Act. Under the existing system, if a drug is found substandard, the drug inspector can initiate legal action against the manufacturer.

The proposal to reimburse people affected by faulty medical devices will be taken up at the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), scheduled a week from today.

The decision was taken after drug makers filed a petition, saying that these drugs were being manufactured since 1988. They cited the SC's earlier relief to 15 manufacturers on the bases of the similar grounds, saying that they should also be exempted from the ban.

As the industry is trying to digest the development, not totally unexpected though, there are fresh concerns on what could come next as the ministry-appointed Prof Kokate Expert committee had discussed banning many more FDC drugs.

India reportedly boasts around 2,000 FDCs, four times more that what's available in the US.