The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of three Mumbai blood banks after finding that Titan watches were distributed to donors at a blood donation camp, violating National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) guidelines that prohibit gifts or inducements for voluntary blood donation.
The affected centres are the Indian Red Cross Society Blood Centre in Mumbai, the Dean Grant Medical College and Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals Blood Centre in Byculla, and the B.Y.L. Nair Charitable Hospital Blood Centre at Mumbai Central. The FDA suspended the licences of the three centres for five days, three days and three days, respectively, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
The blood donation camp was organised by the Young Star Committee of Altamount Road towards the end of April 2026. Advertisements for the camp stated that donors would receive Titan watches as gifts. The distribution of watches was subsequently identified by the FDA as a violation of the NBTC’s Guidelines for Voluntary Blood Donation.
During its initial inquiry, the organisers and participating blood banks denied knowledge of the gifts. FDA officials later contacted several donors, who confirmed that they had received watches. The agency inspected the three blood banks on August 22 and issued show-cause notices on September 2 over the alleged violations.
The blood banks were given an opportunity to respond during personal hearings held on September 22. According to the FDA, the explanations submitted by the centres were unsatisfactory. The department then issued the suspension orders under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
The orders have not taken effect in full at two of the centres. The blood centres at Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals and Nair Hospital appealed against the suspension orders before the State Government and secured temporary stays. The status of the Indian Red Cross Society Blood Centre’s suspension was not accompanied by a similar stay in the report.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said blood donation was an act of social responsibility and service to humanity, and that gifts or inducements should not be used to encourage people to donate. “The FDA is committed to ensuring that no gifts or inducements are used to encourage blood donation and that the relevant guidelines are followed. Blood banks must strictly comply with the applicable legal provisions and guidelines,” he said.
The case places responsibility on both camp organisers and participating blood banks to ensure that voluntary donation campaigns comply with national guidelines. The State Government will now consider the appeals filed by the Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals and Nair Hospital blood centres.
