Every Food Business Operator in India must hold an FSSAI registration or licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. There are three levels — Basic Registration for turnover up to ₹12 lakh, State Licence for ₹12 lakh to ₹20 crore within one state, and Central Licence above ₹20 crore or for multi-state operations, importers and exporters. Applications are filed on the FoSCoS portal, licences are valid for 1 to 5 years, and renewal must be applied for before expiry — a lapsed licence cannot simply be renewed. Two obligations that most guidance omits entirely, and which are dealt with below, are the mandatory annual return in Form D1 and the Food Safety Supervisor (FoSTaC) requirement.
Vakilkaro helps you to complete your FSSAI licence registration online with complete end to end expert assistance for all food businesses across India. Starting a food business in India requires compulsory compliance with food safety regulation. The FSSAI licence is a legal authorisation that allows you to manufacture, store, distribute or sell food.
Our team handles the entire process — determining the correct licence category, preparing the layout plan and supporting documents, filing on the FoSCoS portal, preparing you for the Food Safety Officer’s inspection, obtaining the certificate, and managing the annual return and renewal that follow — at a transparent and affordable fee with no hidden charges.
Introduction
What is FSSAI Licence Registration in India?
FSSAI licence registration is a legal requirement for every Food Business Operator in India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It ensures that food manufactured, processed, stored, distributed, sold or imported in India conforms to prescribed safety and quality standards.
The scope of “food business” is much wider than most operators assume. It covers not only manufacturing and restaurants but storage, transport, wholesale, retail, catering, e-commerce listing, import and export — and it applies whether the operation is a factory or a home kitchen.
What is FSSAI?
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, functioning under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It lays down science-based standards for food articles and regulates their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, so that safe and wholesome food is available for human consumption.
Every food business operator licence in India is issued under FSSAI’s authority — by the Central Licensing Authority for Central Licences, and by the State Food Safety Authority or the Designated Officer for State Licences and Basic Registrations.
What is the FoSCoS Portal?
The Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) is FSSAI’s official online portal at foscos.fssai.gov.in. It replaced the earlier Food Licensing and Registration System and provides a single platform for applying, renewing, modifying and managing licences and registrations across India, and for filing annual returns.
Everything now runs through FoSCoS — application, fee payment, query response, certificate download, modification, annual return and renewal. Applicants can track the status of an application in real time.
Why is FSSAI Registration Mandatory?
It is a legal requirement under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
It protects consumers from unsafe and substandard food
Operating without a valid licence attracts imprisonment and substantial fines, and closure of the business
It builds consumer trust and brand credibility
It is what legally permits manufacture, sale, distribution and import of food
Retailers, supermarkets, e-commerce platforms and food aggregators require it before listing any food product or outlet
Types
Types of FSSAI Licence in India
Basic Registration — turnover up to ₹12 lakh
The entry-level registration for petty food business operators, issued by the Designated Officer of the local authority. The certificate is issued in Form C on an application in Form A.
Who needs it:
Home bakers, tiffin services and small food stalls
Petty retailers and hawkers below ₹12 lakh turnover
Tea stalls, snack vendors and pan shops
Small food transporters and distributors within the turnover limit
Petty manufacturers within the production limits prescribed for petty FBOs
State Licence — turnover ₹12 lakh to ₹20 crore, within one state
For medium-scale operations within a single state, issued by the State Food Safety Authority on an application in Form B.
Who needs it:
Medium manufacturers and processing units within one state
Hotels, restaurants, caterers and cloud kitchens above ₹12 lakh turnover
Cold storage and warehousing within a state
Supermarkets, retail chains, wholesalers and distributors within a state
Transporters above the petty threshold
Central Licence — turnover above ₹20 crore, or multi-state, import or export
Issued by the Central Licensing Authority on an application in Form B.
Who needs it:
Large manufacturers above ₹20 crore turnover
Businesses operating in two or more states — typically for the head office, with each unit holding its own licence
All food importers and exporters, regardless of turnover
Food businesses in central government premises — railways, airports, ports, defence establishments
E-commerce food operators with national operations
100% export-oriented units
An important clarification on turnover thresholds. The turnover figures are the general rule, but FSSAI’s regulations also prescribe capacity-based criteria — daily production capacity for manufacturers, number of animals for slaughterhouses, milk handling capacity for dairy units, and so on. A small dairy or meat unit can require a State or Central Licence on capacity grounds even if its turnover is low. The correct category should therefore be assessed against both turnover and capacity, and this is where self-filed applications most often go wrong.
State Licence vs Central Licence
On multi-state operations. Typically, a business that operates across states needs a Central licence for its head office or registered office, with a licence for each manufacturing unit, storage facility or outlet, appropriate to that location. It’s not one single licence for everything.
Eligibility
Which Food Business Operators Require FSSAI Registration?
Manufacturers and processors — food manufacturing and processing units, dairy and milk processing plants, slaughterhouses and meat processing, vegetable oil processing and refining, packaged drinking water units, bakeries, confectioneries and snack manufacturers, and proprietary food manufacturers.
Traders, storage and transport — grocery stores and supermarkets, wholesale and retail distributors, cold storage and warehousing, food transporters and logistics operators, and repackers and relabellers.
Food service establishments — restaurants, hotels, dhabas, cafés, sweet shops, caterers, cloud kitchens, canteens in schools, hospitals and offices, banquet halls, and street food vendors.
Importers and exporters — food importers, exporters, customs warehouse operators handling food consignments, and 100% export-oriented units.
E-commerce and aggregators — online food delivery platforms, marketplace sellers of food products, and the platforms themselves.
Also covered, and frequently overlooked — nutraceutical, health supplement and Ayurvedic food product manufacturers; food additive and ingredient suppliers; packaging material suppliers in contact with food; and organisations running canteens or mid-day meal programmes.
Documents
Document Checklist
Basic Registration
Passport-size photograph of the applicant
Photo identity proof — Aadhaar, voter ID or passport
Proof of business premises — electricity bill or rent agreement
Completed and signed Form A
Nature of business and food category details
State Licence
Completed and signed Form B
Blueprint or layout plan of the processing unit, drawn to scale
List of food products to be manufactured or handled, with categories
List of equipment and machinery with capacity and number
Proof of possession of premises — ownership deed or rent agreement
Partnership deed, or Memorandum and Articles with the incorporation certificate
NOC from the municipality or panchayat
Water analysis report from a recognised or NABL-accredited laboratory
Medical fitness certificates of food handlers
List of directors, partners or proprietor with address and photo identity
Food safety management plan or systems certificate
Name and qualification of the technical person in charge
Proof of turnover
Central Licence — all of the above, plus
Import Export Code, for importers and exporters
Certificate of incorporation or registration
Ministry of Commerce certificate for 100% export-oriented units
NOC or product approval document issued by FSSAI, where applicable
Declaration Form as prescribed
Source of raw material — for milk, meat and packaged water in particular
Recall plan, where applicable
Certificate from the Ministry of Tourism, for hotels
NOC from the manufacturer, for marketers and repackers
The two documents that most often delay an application are the layout plan and the water analysis report. The layout must be to scale and must show the process flow; a rough sketch is returned. The water report must be current, from an acceptable laboratory, and must cover the parameters prescribed — a general potability certificate is often insufficient.
Step-by-step Process
The Registration Process — Step by Step
- Step 1: Determine the correct category. Assess turnover and capacity against the criteria, and identify whether Basic, State or Central applies — and whether more than one licence is needed for multiple premises.
- Step 2: Create a FoSCoS account at foscos.fssai.gov.in.
- Step 3: Select the licence type and food categories. Food product categories must be selected accurately — an incorrect or incomplete selection means the licence does not cover what you actually make, and must be modified later.
- Step 4: Complete the application — business details, premises, proprietor or director information, equipment and capacity, and the food products handled.
- Step 5: Upload the documents — identity and address proof, layout plan, NOC, water analysis report, equipment list, medical fitness certificates and other applicable documents.
- Step 6: Pay the fee online through FoSCoS. The fee is payable for the number of years selected.
- Step 7: Departmental scrutiny. The application is examined and a query may be raised. Queries must be responded to within the prescribed period — an unanswered query results in the application being rejected and the fee being lost.
- Step 8: Inspection by the Food Safety Officer.An inspection of the premises is usually conducted for State and Central Licences. Layout, equipment, hygiene, storage, pest control, water quality and record-keeping are checked.
- Step 9: Grant and certificate download. On approval the certificate is available on FoSCoS, and must be displayed prominently at the premises.
- Step 10: Post-grant obligations. Appoint a trained Food Safety Supervisor, display the Food Safety Display Board, begin record-keeping, and diarise the annual return and renewal dates.
When can you start operating? For Basic Registration, the regulations permit a petty food business operator to commence business after the prescribed period from the date of application, on the strength of the acknowledgement, if no communication has been received. For State and Central Licences, the business should not commence until the licence is granted. This distinction matters, and treating an application acknowledgement as a licence is a common and expensive error.
Preparing for the Food Safety Officer’s Inspection
The inspection is where most State and Central applications succeed or stall, and it is entirely preparable for.
What the officer examines:
Premises and layout — whether the actual layout matches the plan submitted, with a logical process flow from raw material to finished product
Segregation — raw and cooked areas, veg and non-veg where applicable, and separation of storage from processing
Hygiene and sanitation — cleanliness, hand-washing facilities, drainage, waste disposal
Pest control — evidence of a contract and treatment records
Water — source, storage, and the analysis report
Cold chain — refrigeration, temperature records and calibration
Personnel — medical fitness certificates, protective clothing, training records
Records — raw material purchase, production, testing, and cleaning schedules
Labelling — for packaged products
The Food Safety Display Board and the licence itself, prominently displayed
The single most common reason for an adverse inspection is a mismatch between the layout plan submitted and the premises as they actually are. The plan should reflect reality, not an aspiration.
FSSAI Registration Fees
Fees are paid on FoSCoS for the full period selected. Taking a longer validity period is generally the better decision — the fee is the same per year, but it reduces the number of renewal cycles and therefore the risk of an inadvertent lapse.
Vakilkaro’s professional charges are separate from and additional to the government fee, and are quoted all-inclusive with no hidden costs.
Timelines depend on document completeness, whether a query is raised, and the Food Safety Officer’s inspection schedule. Contact Vakilkaro for current all-inclusive pricing across all three categories.
FSSAI vs FoSCoS vs Food Licence
- A simple analogy: FSSAI is the institution, FoSCoS is the portal, and the food licence is the document you receive.
Checking Registration Status
On FoSCoS
Log in at foscos.fssai.gov.in
Go to the application tracking section
Enter the application reference number
The status is displayed — submitted, under scrutiny, query raised, inspection scheduled, approved or rejected
Where a query is raised, respond within the prescribed period through the portal. This is the most common point at which applications fail, simply because the applicant did not notice the query.
Verifying another business’s licence. Use the FSSAI licence verification facility with the 14-digit licence number to confirm validity, the issuing authority, the categories covered and the expiry date. This is worth doing before onboarding any food supplier.
Downloading and Verifying the FSSAI Certificate
Log in to FoSCoS
Go to the dashboard and the list of licences and registrations
Select the approved licence
Download the certificate in PDF
Print and display it prominently at the premises — display is a legal requirement, not a courtesy
The 14-digit licence number must appear on all food packaging, menus, invoices and the business’s website. The first digit indicates whether it is a registration or a licence, and the following digits encode the year, the state and the licensing authority.
Licence Validity, Renewal and What Happens on Expiry
Licences and registrations are issued for 1 to 5 years, chosen at application
Renewal must be applied for before the expiry date, and the regulations permit application from 180 days before expiry
Applying within the 30 days before expiry attracts a late fee for each day of delay
Renewal is filed on FoSCoS in the same form as the original application, with updated documents
The point most operators do not know, and it is the most important one on this page. Under the current regulations, an FSSAI licence or registration cannot be renewed after it has expired. Once the expiry date passes without a renewal application, the licence stands cancelled, and the business must apply for a fresh licence — a full application with fresh documents, fresh fee and, for State and Central Licences, a fresh inspection. In the meantime the business is operating without a licence, with all the penal consequences that follow.
This is a very different position from the common assumption that a lapsed licence can simply be renewed with a penalty. Diarising the expiry date, and applying comfortably ahead of it, is the single most valuable piece of FSSAI administration a food business can do.
Modification of an Existing Licence
A licence must be modified through FoSCoS where there is a change in:
The food product categories handled — adding a new product line not covered by the licence
The name or constitution of the business
The premises, including any expansion or change of address
The proprietor, partners or directors
Capacity of the unit
The licence category, where turnover or capacity crosses a threshold
Modifications are classified as major or minor, with different fee and processing consequences, and a major modification can require a fresh inspection.
The trap. Selling a product not covered by your licence categories is treated as operating without a licence for that product, however valid your licence is for everything else. A restaurant that starts selling packaged sweets, or a manufacturer that adds a new product line, must modify the licence first.
The Annual Return — Form D1 and Form D2
This obligation is absent from almost all published guidance on FSSAI registration, and non-filing is one of the most commonly issued penalty notices in the sector.
Form D1 — Annual Return. Every manufacturer, importer, packer, repacker, relabeller and exporter holding a State or Central Licence must file an annual return in Form D1 on FoSCoS, by 31 May each year, for the preceding financial year. It reports the quantity of food products manufactured, handled, imported or exported, category-wise.
Form D2 — Half-Yearly Return. Every licensee engaged in the manufacture of milk and milk products must additionally file a half-yearly return in Form D2, for the periods ending 30 September and 31 March.
Who is exempt. Restaurants, canteens, caterers and other pure food service establishments are generally outside the D1 requirement, as are Basic Registration holders. But any manufacturer, packer or repacker — including a small unit — is within it.
The penalty. Late filing is subject to a daily penalty, up to a maximum based on the annual licence fee. It builds up quietly and is usually found at renewal where the arrears have to be cleared before the renewal can proceed.
Food Safety Supervisor and FoSTaC Training
Another obligation routinely omitted from guidance, and one that Food Safety Officers now check as a matter of course.
Under the food safety regulations, every food business — other than a petty food business operator — must ensure that at least one trained and certified Food Safety Supervisor is appointed for every 25 food handlers or part thereof, in each premises.
Training is delivered under FoSTaC — the Food Safety Training and Certification programme — by FSSAI-empanelled training partners
Certification is issued for the relevant course category — catering, manufacturing, retail, transport, storage and others
The FoSTaC certificate is valid for a defined period and must be renewed
The trained supervisor’s details are recorded against the licence
Inspection increasingly includes verification that the supervisor is appointed and trained
The need for this goes beyond compliance. Most food safety failures in small and medium businesses are handling failures, not design failures, and the most direct control is a trained supervisor.
Food Safety Display Board and Hygiene Rating
Food Safety Display Board. Food businesses in specified categories — restaurants, caterers, sweet shops, bakeries, retail outlets and others — must display a Food Safety Display Board in the prescribed format, visible to consumers, setting out the key hygiene and safety practices the business is required to observe. It is checked at inspection.
Hygiene Rating. FSSAI operates a hygiene rating scheme for food service establishments, under which a business is audited by an empanelled agency and rated. It is voluntary but increasingly commercially valuable — several aggregators display it, and corporate and institutional buyers ask for it.
Display of the licence. The licence or registration certificate itself must be displayed at a prominent place at the premises at all times. This is a specific requirement, and its absence is recorded at inspection even where the licence is perfectly valid.
Labelling and Display Obligations
For packaged food, the labelling regulations require, among other things:
The 14-digit FSSAI licence number with the FSSAI logo
Name and complete address of the manufacturer, packer or importer
Name of the food and the list of ingredients in descending order of composition
Nutritional information per 100g or 100ml
Allergen declaration
Veg or non-veg symbol in the prescribed colour and form
Net quantity, batch or lot number
Date of manufacture and best before or use by date
Country of origin for imported food
Storage instructions and, where applicable, instructions for use
Non-packaged and food service businesses must display the licence number on the premises, and — where food is sold online or through an aggregator — on the listing.
Misbranding and non-compliant labelling are separate offences from operating without a licence, and attract their own penalties.
Penalties
FSSAI Penalties for Non-Compliance
Repeat violations can lead to cancellation of the licence and prohibition from carrying on a food business.
The most important practical point. Operating on an expired licence is not a lesser offence than operating without one — because a lapsed licence stands cancelled, the two are the same thing in law.
FSSAI for Specific Food Business Types
Restaurants and hotels. State Licence if turnover is more than ₹12 lakh, Central Licence for chains working throughout the states. Licence must be displayed, along with Food Safety Display Board, and Food Safety Supervisor is compulsory. Also, the number of licence should be mentioned on the menu and aggregator list.
Home-based food businesses. Basic Registration for below ₹12 lakh, State License above that. Essential even if you sell via Instagram/WhatsApp. Premises proof is generally your home address, and standards for hygiene are same as any other kitchen.
Cloud kitchens. State Licence, and each kitchen location requires its own licence. Aggregator onboarding is impossible without it.
E-commerce food sellers. Licence based on turnover and reach; national selling requires a Central Licence. Marketplaces require the licence number against every listing, and the licence categories must actually cover the products listed.
Food importers and exporters.Central Licence mandatory regardless of turnover, together with an Import Export Code. Import consignments are cleared only after FSSAI verification, and imported food must additionally meet Indian labelling requirements before it can be sold.
Caterers and event caterers. Basic Registration or State Licence by turnover. Institutional catering to hotels, hospitals and corporates requires a State Licence with full kitchen hygiene documentation, and clients almost always require it contractually.
Dairy, meat and packaged water. Capacity based criteria exist alongside turnover. These categories attract closer inspection scrutiny with specific requirements on source of raw material and testing.
Nutraceuticals and health supplements. A distinct regulatory category with its own compositional standards, permitted ingredients and labelling requirements, quite apart from the licence itself.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applying in the wrong category by looking at turnover alone and ignoring capacity criteria
Letting the licence expire — it cannot then be renewed, and a fresh application with a fresh inspection is required
Not filing the annual return in Form D1 where the business is a manufacturer, packer, repacker, importer or exporter
Not appointing a trained Food Safety Supervisor under FoSTaC
Selecting incomplete food categories, leaving products outside the licensed scope
Not modifying the licence when adding products, changing premises or changing constitution
A layout plan that does not match the actual premises
An outdated or inadequate water analysis report
Missing the query response window, causing rejection and loss of the fee
Treating the application acknowledgement as a licence for State and Central applications
Not displaying the licence and the Food Safety Display Board at the premises
Omitting the 14-digit number from packaging, menus and online listings
One licence for multiple premises — each location needs its own
Why Choose Vakilkaro?
Why Choose Vakilkaro for FSSAI Licence Registration?
Correct category determination — assessed against both turnover and capacity criteria, and across all premises, so you apply once and correctly
Complete document preparation — layout plan guidance, equipment list, water analysis coordination, NOC and medical fitness documentation
FoSCoS filing and query management — the full application filed on your behalf, with queries answered within the response window
Inspection preparation — a pre-inspection checklist covering layout, segregation, pest control, records and display requirements
Food category mapping — so the licence actually covers everything you sell, and modification is not needed six months later
Annual return filing — Form D1 and, for dairy, Form D2, so the penalty never accrues
FoSTaC and Food Safety Supervisor guidance
Renewal management — expiry diarised and the application filed well before the date, because a lapsed licence cannot be renewed
Modification support — new products, new premises, change of constitution
All business types — restaurants, manufacturers, home kitchens, cloud kitchens, caterers, importers, exporters and e-commerce sellers
Transparent pricing with no hidden charges
Pan-India service across all states
Contact Vakilkaro today — because your food business deserves to operate legally, safely and without an avoidable interruption.