The Indian government has made it compulsory for cough syrup manufacturers to have samples tested before exporting their products.
From 1 June, these companies will have to get a certificate of analysis from a government-approved laboratory.
The rule change comes after some Indian cough syrup exports were linked to deaths in The Gambia and Uzbekistan.
The controversies had threatened India’s pharmaceutical industry: India makes a third of the world’s medicines.
The announcement was made by the Director General of Foreign Trade, which said in a notification that cough syrups would be permitted to be exported “subject to the export sample being tested”.