India Friday banned testing for cosmetic products and their ingredients on animals.
"Effective today (Friday), the animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients is outlawed throughout India. This is a huge victory for animals in laboratories," said Alokparna Sengupta, Humane Society International's Be Cruelty-Free India campaign manager.
The test ban was finalised through the gazette notification of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules (Second Amendment), 2014, following completion of a 45-day public consultation period.
"India has now taken a step forward in ethical consumerism and with the notification, will lead the world towards it too," added Sengupta.
With this ban, India joins a list of countries like Brazil, Australia and New Zealand.