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Animal Testing Policy

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BACKGROUND

DABUR INDIA LIMITED (hereinafter referred to as "DABUR"), a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956, with its Registered Office at 8/3, Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi – 110002, and Corporate Office at Kaushambi, Ghaziabad – 201 010 (UP), INDIA, is a manufacturer of a wide variety of products, including Health Care (Ayurvedic Medicines and Drugs), Hair Care, Oral Care, Skin Care, Home Care, and Food & Beverages. Throughout its journey, Dabur has remained true to its motto of being "Dedicated to the Health & Well-Being of every Household." To fulfil this purpose, Dabur is committed to developing safe and efficacious products based on science.

SCOPE

This policy applies to all internal stakeholders at Dabur and parties conducting animal testing1 on behalf of Dabur. It is mandatory for all parties involved to adhere to this policy and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Dabur’s Animal Testing Policy reflects our unwavering commitment to the principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement of animal use in research wherever possible. Additionally, Dabur is committed to adhering to best practices, applicable standards, and certification requirements for animal testing.

Dabur will ensure that animal testing1 is conducted only when mandated by regulatory authorities and/or where no viable alternative scientific methods are available. Dabur will also ensure that any associated parties conducting animal testing on our behalf treat animals ethically throughout the research and development process by adhering to this policy.

POLICY STATEMENT

Parties conducting animal testing on behalf of Dabur must adhere to the following principles:

  • Regulatory Compliance: Animal testing is not conducted except where legally required by applicable laws, regulations, or regulatory authorities for product safety, toxicity, mutagenicity, exploratory teratogenicity, or other assessments necessary advocated by guiding principles of respective bodies like CCRAS, AYUSH, ICMR, and other importing country guidelines for product development specially for medicinal products under AYUSH/NHP/MHRA/EMEA etc.

    The company prioritizes and adopts scientifically validated non-animal alternative testing methods wherever permitted as per the guiding principles of product development for medical products including Ayurvedic products. Animal testing is not conducted on ingredients and formulations of cosmetic / food licensed products of Dabur India Limited.

  • Replacement: Animal testing will be replaced with alternative validated methods, such as in vitro (cell-based assays) and in silico (computational models), wherever feasible.

  • Refinement: Animal testing methods will be refined along with our associated parties to ensure the highest animal welfare standards, minimizing pain, distress, and discomfort, and promoting the humane treatment of animals in research.

  • Reduction: Statistically validated study designs must be applied to enhance animal welfare, ensuring that studies are conducted with the minimum number of animals necessary for the scientific rationale.

  • Adherence to Best Practices: Best practice standards shall be adhered to, and we will seek to obtain recognized animal testing certifications, such as PETA’s ‘Cruelty-Free’ or ‘Animal Test-Free’ Certification, to ensure compliance with ethical and scientific guidelines. All animal studies shall be conducted in laboratories that are compliant with CCSEA (Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals, formerly CPCSEA), a statutory body formed by the Indian Parliament under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
    Whenever possible, animal studies should be conducted in laboratories accredited by AAALAC (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care) and in compliance with the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) principles during animal testing.

  • Employee Training: Employees at associated animal testing facilities must be well-versed in Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and trained in the care and handling of animals.

DOCUMENTATION

All documentation related to animal testing from project initiation to the completion of the study must be suitably captured and archived. This includes obtaining all necessary approvals from internal and external bodies.

GOVERNANCE, MONITORING & COMPLIANCE

Any animal testing conducted on behalf of Dabur must be approved by an internal ethics review committee headed by Executive Director - Operations. This Committee will oversee the compliance and approval processes for all animal testing activities.

The Board of Directors has ultimate oversight of this Policy. The board periodically reviews performance, monitors progress against agreed upon targets, and ensures effective implementation across all operations.

More information on this policy can be requested by contacting Head Dabur corporate communications at corpcomm@dabur.com

1 Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, non-clinical studies, and in vivo testing, involves the use of any live non-human vertebrate, such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals (including rats and mice) in research experiments.

 

Mohit Malhotra
Whole Time Director & Global Chief Executive Officer

 

Version 2.0
Date of Revision: 03.08.2026