The licence every food business needs — basic registration, state licence or central licence, matched to your turnover and activity.
Every food business operator in India — manufacturer, processor, packer, transporter, distributor, retailer or restaurant — must hold an FSSAI registration or licence before commencing operations. Which one you need is decided by turnover and by the nature of the activity.
Basic registration covers petty food businesses. A state licence covers mid-sized operators within a single state. A central licence is required for large operators, importers, exporters and businesses operating across multiple states.
The fourteen-digit licence number must be displayed on every food package and at the premises. It is one of the few licences customers actually look for.
| What is included |
Basic ₹2,499.00 |
Standard ₹5,999.00 |
Premium ₹11,999.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligibility and category review | |||
| Application preparation and filing | |||
| Registration certificate delivered to your vault | |||
| Valid for 1 year | |||
| State licence application | |||
| Form B and declarations | |||
| Layout and equipment list preparation | |||
| Central licence application | |||
| Full documentation set | |||
| Response to any query raised by the authority |
Basic registration, for the smallest food businesses.
State licence, for mid-sized operators.
Central licence, for large or multi-state operators.
Prices are our professional fee. Government fees and stamp duty are extra and shown separately.
Basic registration is for food businesses with annual turnover up to ₹12 lakh. A state licence covers turnover between ₹12 lakh and ₹20 crore. A central licence is required above ₹20 crore, and regardless of turnover for importers, exporters, e-commerce food operators and businesses at more than one state.
Certain activities — such as operating at a port or airport, or 100% export-oriented units — require a central licence irrespective of size.
This is the same list we turn into your live checklist once you order, so nothing is a surprise later.
We confirm whether you need basic, state or central, from turnover and activity.
Day 1–2Layout plan, equipment list, water test report and declarations prepared.
Day 2–6Filed on the FoSCoS portal and the reference number recorded.
Day 6–8The authority reviews and may raise a query or inspect.
Day 8–18Licence delivered to your vault with the expiry date registered.
Day 18–21| Our professional fee
Standard package |
₹5,999.00 |
| FSSAI basic registration (per year) | ₹100.00 |
| GST @ 18% on our fee | ₹1,079.82 |
Carrying on a food business without the required licence is punishable with imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh.
Separate penalties apply for sub-standard or misbranded food, and for failing to display the licence number on packaging. Enforcement is active, particularly for restaurants and cloud kitchens.
A licence is issued for one to five years and must be renewed before expiry — an expired licence cannot be renewed, only applied for afresh. An annual return (Form D1) is required for manufacturers and importers.
We add the expiry date to your renewal register and remind you well before it lapses, because a lapsed FSSAI licence stops the business rather than merely costing a late fee.
Turnover up to ₹12 lakh: basic registration. ₹12 lakh to ₹20 crore: state licence. Above ₹20 crore, or importing, exporting or operating in more than one state: central licence. We confirm the category before filing, because applying under the wrong one wastes both the fee and the time.
One to five years, at your choice at the time of application. Longer validity costs proportionally more government fee but avoids repeated renewal.
An expired licence cannot be renewed — you must apply afresh, and you cannot trade in the meantime. Renewal must be applied for before the expiry date, which is why we register the date and remind you.
Yes. Any food business operator needs at least basic registration, including a home kitchen or a cloud kitchen selling online. Food delivery platforms require the licence number before onboarding.
Yes. The fourteen-digit number must be displayed on food packages and at the premises. Failure to do so carries its own penalty.
For manufacturing and processing licences, yes — a report from an NABL-accredited or FSSAI-notified laboratory. It is not needed for basic registration of a retailer.
Our FSSAI licence was about to lapse and nobody had told us. The renewal reminder came sixty days ahead and we renewed without a break in trading.
Free government recognition as a micro, small or medium enterprise — and the credit, tender and delayed-payment protections that come with it.
The DGFT code you must hold before importing or exporting goods or services from India.
The state labour registration every commercial premises needs, and the document banks most often ask a proprietor for.
DPIIT recognition unlocking tax exemptions, self-certification and public procurement relaxations.
ISO 9001, 27001 and other standards, from gap assessment through to certification audit.
The Class-3 signing token required for every MCA, income tax, GST, tender and trademark filing.