NEW DELHI, Feb. 11 -- India plans to centralize testing and quality control of 42 essential veterinary vaccines at a single national laboratory, replacing a fragmented system that allows self-certification and state-level testing, according to two government officials and a document reviewed by Mint.

The move, set in motion by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), will designate the Baghpat-based Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Animal Health (CCSNIAH) as the exclusive apex laboratory for batch release and quality assessment of these biological products. The vaccines span livestock, poultry, and companion animals.

The overhaul aims to standardize testing under Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) rules that are legally enforceable...