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Starting a Food Business in India:

Here is an indicative list of Licenses and registration one must need to obtain before starting food business in India.

FSSAI License:

Before starting a food business in India, every FBO has to register their business by obtaining a FSSAI license. The FSSAI, under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt Of India is regulatory body laying down act, rules and regulation for safe and wholesome food to consumers produced or handled by organisations in accordance with the FSS(Food Safety and Standards) Act, 2006. Like we mentioned before, before commencing any business activity related to food and beverages it is mandatory to obtain the FSSAI license.

The FSSAI license is basically of 3 types.

• Central FSSAI License -The central FSSAI license is applicable for importers, Exporters, Head offices with operations in multiple states, Manufacturer/Repacker/Relabeller with More than 2MT/day capacity and for other than businesses having turnover greater than Rs. 20 Crores.
• State License-  State license is applicable for retailers, distributors, retailers, repackers among others with turnovers more than 12 lakhs.
• Registration- Registration form A is for petty food businesses or for small Food businesses with turnover less than Rs. 12 lakh

List of Mandatory Documents for Fssai License

Health Trade License:

Application for this license has to be submitted at the local municipality office.  The rules of the municipality might vary according to which state they are in. These applications can be filed online making the process streamlined and faster.

Company Registration/ Shop and Establishment Registration: 

As per Companys Act there must be legal entity in India be registered to carry out any business such as Proprietor (Sole Owner), Partnership, Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), Private Limited or Public Limited. There may be company form of non-profit or NGO.

For food business operation within Municipal Corporation limits, In accordance with the Shop and Establishment Act for the particular state, all FBOs have to obtain this registration to start their business as a commercial marketplace.

GST Registration:

The VAT and Service Tax regime ended with the introduction of GST on 1 July 2017. Every new business has to acquire GST registration in order to commence business activities for taxation purposes. Businesses with low turnovers can also avail the composition scheme in order to be free from intricate return compliances and rules under the GST regime, however, there are several downfalls to the scheme as well.

Fire Department NOC:

The Fire Services Act of the state or corresponding building bye-laws dictates that it is advisable to acquire a NOC(No Objection Certificate) from the Chief Fire Officer. The FBO also have to fill out a questionnaire related to fire safety rules and regulations.

The government has also provided a checklist of documents for fire safety certificate. These documents are as follows

• Information about the building as specified in building bye-laws along with 2 sets of building plans.
• Duly filled questionnaire
• Model of the Building
• Checklist with certification from the Chief Architect

Above is just an indicative list of licenses/registration, as per type of food products it may vary.

You may refer Legal Compliance for more details on all applicable legal regulations, if you need further information please Chat with us Ask The Expert.