The decision by the United States to revoke visas of Indian corporate executives suspected of trafficking fentanyl precursors marks a new phase in the global war on synthetic drugs. It is a reminder that in the age of borderless commerce, criminal liability and diplomatic consequences are also borderless. India’s chemical industry, which has long prided itself on scale, innovation and export reach, now finds itself under a harsher spotlight where even a whiff of complicity can have far-reaching costs.

Fentanyl is not an ordinary narcotic. It is a synthetic opioid so potent that minute quantities can be lethal, and it has driven an unprecedented overdose crisis in the United States. While India is not a consumer hub for fentanyl, it is a significant producer of the pharmaceutical chemicals that can serve as precursors. This dual reality ~ legitimate production capacity combined with the potential for diversion ~ makes Indian exporters both valuable partners and high-risk actors in........

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