Date: 2025-08-30Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Announces First-of-its-Kind Nutritional Supplement Testing Referral Laboratories at Sports Goods Manufacturing Conclave
**Summary:**
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), in collaboration with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has announced the establishment of two Nutritional Supplement Testing Referral Laboratories. This announcement was made during the Sports Goods Manufacturing Conclave held in New Delhi on August 30, 2025. The laboratories, accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and approved as FSSAI referral labs, are the first of their kind in India. They are the result of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding between MYAS, FSSAI, and the following institutions:
1. Centre of Excellence for Research and Analysis of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
2. Analytical Testing Laboratory, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad.
These specialized laboratories will test for World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited substances in nutritional supplements. The initiative aims to ensure the safety and quality of supplements available to athletes, prevent inadvertent doping violations caused by contaminated or unsafe products, and promote fair play in sports. The establishment of these facilities is intended to strengthen India's anti-doping framework, build scientific capacity in supplement testing, and provide athletes with access to reliable and certified nutritional products. The Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Labour Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, has emphasized the significance of this initiative.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: A ministry of the Government of India responsible for youth affairs and sports.
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya: The Union Minister for Youth Affairs Sports and Labour Employment.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India FSSAI: An authority involved in a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports MYAS.
National Forensic Sciences University NFSU, Gandhinagar, Gujarat: One of the institutions where Nutritional Supplement Testing labs are established.
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, Telangana: Another institution where Analytical Testing Laboratory is established.
World Anti-Doping Agency WADA: The agency whose prohibited substances will be tested for in nutritional supplements at the established laboratories.
The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi: Location of the Sports Goods Manufacturing Conclave.
NABL: National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. NABL accreditation was formally announced for the two Nutritional Supplement Testing labs.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Announces
First-of-its-Kind Nutritional Supplement Testing
Referral Laboratories at Sports Goods Manufacturing
Conclave
Posted On: 30 AUG 2025 6:09PM by PIB Delhi
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS), Government of India, today organised the Sports Goods
Manufacturing Conclave at The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, industry
representatives, and experts to strengthen India’s sports goods ecosystem and promote indigenous
manufacturing.
On this occasion, formal announcement was made regarding NABL accreditation and FSSAI referral lab
approval for the two Nutritional Supplement Testing labs established under a tripartite Memorandum of
Understanding between Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS), Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI), and the respective institutions, namely:
1. Centre of Excellence for Research and Analysis of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, National
Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and
2. Analytical Testing Laboratory, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER),
Hyderabad.
The Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
felicitated the two institutions and underscored the significance of this pioneering initiative.Nutritional supplements are widely used by athletes, but the absence of dedicated testing facilities in India has
often exposed them to the risk of inadvertent doping--unknowingly consuming unsafe or contaminatedproducts that are banned in sports and that could lead to positive doping tests.
For the first time in the country, specialized laboratories for testing World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-
prohibited substances in nutritional supplements have been established. These facilities will ensure the safety
and quality of supplements, prevent unintentional doping violations, and promote fair play in sports.
The establishment of these referral laboratories marks a major step in strengthening India’s anti-doping
framework, building scientific capacity, and providing athletes with reliable, certified nutritional products.
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Rini Choudhury/Anjelina Alexander
(Release ID: 2162280)