With this, the country has earned the distinction of becoming the first cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South Asia.

With its ban on the import of animal-tested beauty products, India becomes the first cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South Asia.

Humane Society International-India’s (HSI) “Be Cruelty Free” campaign is celebrating a historic victory for animals as India bans the import of animal tested cosmetics.

Coming just a few months after implementation of a national ban on cruel cosmetics testing in India’s labs, the import ban now makes the country the first cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South Asia and an example for other nations to follow, Ms. Norma Alvares, People for Animals, told The Hindu on Wednesday.

The ban comes in the form of Rule 135-B that states that no cosmetic that has been tested on animals after the commencement of Drugs and Cosmetics (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2014 shall be imported into the country.”

The notification will come into effect on November 13, 2014.

Ms. Alokparna Sengupta, HSI’s campaign manager, hailed the ban, saying India has made history for animals in South Asia.

“This is a huge achievement that could not have been possible without the compassion of our government, consumers and industry. We feel confident that if this vision is applied to other areas of product-testing, this can be a defining moment in the modernization of India’s safety science, with potentially hundreds of thousands more animals spared pain and suffering,” said Ms. Sengupta in a press release on Wednesday.

HSI/India’s Be Cruelty Free campaign has been assisted by partners such as FIAPO, Blue Cross of India and People for Animals and critical support from more than 30 legislators including Ms. Maneka Gandhi, Mr. L.K. Advani, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and Ms. Supriya Sule.

India’s dual test and import ban mirrors that of the European Union and is the latest victory in a string of achievements for the Be Cruelty Free campaign globally, said Ms. Alvares.