New Delhi, Nov. 11 -- India's top drug regulator has ordered a nationwide crackdown on pharmaceutical manufacturers to enforce stricter quality standards. India's Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed states to inspect thousands of small- and medium-sized pharma companies and enforce new manufacturing standards.

Drug authorities in states such as Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand have already issued warning closure notices to firms that don't comply with good manufacturing practices (GMP), requiring them to upgrade by the end of the year.

The move ends a one-year grace period granted to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to comply with new norms, and comes amid renewed concerns over drug safety after a s...