The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of three Mumbai blood banks after finding that Titan watches were distributed to blood donors at a camp in April, violating National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) guidelines prohibiting gifts at voluntary blood donation drives.
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. Their licences were suspended 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, according to the FDA. Advertisements for the event stated that donors would receive Titan watches as gifts. The NBTC Guidelines for Voluntary Blood Donation prohibit gifts or other inducements at voluntary blood donation camps.
During its initial inquiry, the organisers and participating blood banks denied knowledge of the distribution of watches. FDA officials later contacted several donors, who confirmed that they had received the gifts, according to the report. The FDA then inspected the three blood banks on August 22 and issued show-cause notices on September 2.
The blood banks were given personal hearings on September 22 and submitted their explanations. The FDA subsequently found the explanations unsatisfactory and ordered the licence suspensions. The action places responsibility on blood centres to ensure that donation camps conducted with their participation comply with the rules governing voluntary blood collection.
The suspensions have not taken effect in the same manner for all three centres. The blood centres at Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals and Nair Hospital appealed against the orders before the State Government and obtained temporary stays. The report does not specify the status of the Indian Red Cross Society Blood Centre’s suspension beyond the order issued by the FDA.
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 donations. “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 highlights the regulatory role of the FDA in monitoring blood centres and enforcing national standards for voluntary donation camps. The immediate next step for the two centres that secured temporary stays is the consideration of their appeals by the State Government.
