Every food business in India — manufacturer, repacker, trader, restaurant, or online seller — needs to be registered with or licensed by FSSAI before selling a single unit. The confusion starts with the fact that there isn't one "FSSAI license." There are three tiers, and picking the wrong one either wastes money or, worse, leaves you non-compliant while you think you're covered.
Here's how the three tiers work, what each one costs, and where first-time founders most often get it wrong.
| Tier | Who it's for | Typical annual turnover | Indicative government fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Registration (Form A) | Petty food businesses — home kitchens, very small manufacturers, hawkers | Up to ₹12 lakh | ₹100 per year |
| State License (Form B) | Small-to-mid manufacturers, storage, transporters, retailers, most early-stage D2C brands | ₹12 lakh to ₹20 crore | ₹2,000–₹5,000 per year (varies by capacity) |
| Central License (Form B) | Large manufacturers, importers, exporters, businesses operating in multiple states, e-commerce platform operators | Above ₹20 crore, or activity-based regardless of turnover | ₹7,500 per year |
Two important nuances hide inside this table. First, the thresholds are not only about turnover — manufacturing capacity matters too. A manufacturer producing more than roughly 2 tonnes of food per day generally needs a Central license even below the turnover threshold. Second, certain activities force you up a tier regardless of size: importing or exporting food requires a Central license from day one, even if your turnover is zero.
If you're launching a packaged food brand and selling through your own website plus marketplaces, the realistic answer is a State license — not Basic registration. Basic registration is designed for petty businesses, and while a brand doing ₹8 lakh a year technically qualifies, there are practical reasons to skip it:
If you use a co-packer, note carefully: the co-packer's license does not cover you. The manufacturing facility holds its own license for the manufacturing activity, but the brand owner needs their own FSSAI license too — typically under the "relabeller" or "brand owner" category — because your name and address go on the label. This is one of the most common compliance gaps in early-stage brands.
For a State license as a manufacturer or relabeller, the standard set is:
Applications go through the FoSCoS portal (Food Safety Compliance System). Basic registrations are typically processed within about 7 days; State and Central licenses officially take up to 30–60 days, though clean applications in most states come back faster. Licenses are issued for 1 to 5 years — you choose the validity period and pay per year. Renewal must be filed before expiry; late renewal attracts a daily penalty, and an expired license means you legally cannot operate.
Whichever tier you hold, the 14-digit FSSAI license/registration number must appear on your product label along with the FSSAI logo, per the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. If a co-packer manufactures for you, current practice is that the label carries the brand owner's license number along with the manufacturer's details. Getting this wrong is an easy way to fail a marketplace listing review or a food safety officer inspection.
Check your label against 20 FSSAI labelling requirements — declarations, font sizes, FOP rules — in a few minutes.
Open Label Compliance Checker →Registering under the wrong business category. "Manufacturer," "repacker," "relabeller," and "trader" are distinct categories with different fees and inspection expectations. If you outsource production but own the brand, you're typically a relabeller/brand owner — not a manufacturer.
Ignoring capacity-based fees. State license fees scale with production capacity (per-day tonnage). Overstating your capacity to "leave headroom" raises your fee and can trigger manufacturer-grade inspections your unit isn't set up for.
Assuming one license covers all locations. Each premises needs its own license. A warehouse in another state, a second kitchen, a returns-processing hub — each is a separate application. Businesses operating in multiple states additionally need a Central license for their head office.
Letting it lapse. Selling food without a valid license can attract penalties up to ₹5 lakh and imprisonment under the FSS Act, 2006. Set a renewal reminder at least 60 days before expiry.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Requirements vary by state and business type — verify against the current FoSCoS documentation or a regulatory consultant before applying.