Which licence you need
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India issues three tiers, and applying for the wrong one wastes weeks. Basic registration covers businesses with turnover up to ₹12 lakh — small kitchens, hawkers and petty retailers. A State licence covers turnover from ₹12 lakh up to ₹20 crore, which is where most restaurants, cloud kitchens and mid-sized caterers sit. A Central licence is required above ₹20 crore, and also for importers, exporters, e-commerce food operators and businesses running in more than one state. We assess your turnover and operations first and tell you which applies before anything is filed.
- Legally mandatory. Operating a food business without a licence can attract a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh and imprisonment in serious cases.
- Required by delivery platforms. Swiggy and Zomato will not list a restaurant or cloud kitchen without a valid FSSAI number.
- Consumer trust. Displaying your FSSAI number on menus and packaging is a visible signal that you are a legitimate operation.
- Needed for institutional supply. Hotels, corporate canteens and retail chains will not take you on as a supplier without it.
- Required on packaging. Packaged food must carry the FSSAI logo and licence number by law.
- Choose your term. Licences can be taken for one to five years; a longer term costs less per year.
Documents you'll need
- PAN and Aadhaar of the proprietor, partners or directors.
- Passport-size photograph of the applicant.
- Business address proof — rent agreement, utility bill or property document.
- List of food products you will manufacture, store, sell or serve.
- Water test report from a recognised laboratory, for manufacturing units.
- Premises layout plan, required for Central licence applications.
- Local body NOC and a food safety management plan, depending on category.
How the process runs
1
Licence category adviceWe assess your turnover, premises and product list to determine whether Basic, State or Central applies. Getting this right first time avoids a rejected application.
2
Document collectionYou share documents through a secure link. We prepare the product category declarations, which is the part applicants most often get wrong.
3
Filing on FoSCoSThe application is submitted on the FSSAI FoSCoS portal and tracked. Any departmental query is answered by us on your behalf.
4
Licence issuedYour FSSAI licence with its fourteen-digit number is issued, typically within six to seven working days, and emailed to you.
Renew before it lapses
An FSSAI licence must be renewed before expiry, and applying late attracts a penalty of ₹100 per day. If it lapses entirely you must apply afresh, and in the meantime you are trading unlicensed. We remind our clients ahead of renewal, so this does not happen.
Frequently asked
Do I need a licence for a home kitchen?
Yes. Home-based food businesses, tiffin services and bakers selling from home all require at least Basic FSSAI registration. If you sell through Swiggy, Zomato or Instagram, the platform or payment gateway will generally ask for the number in any case.
What does the ₹999 cover?
That is our professional fee for handling your application end to end. The government licence fee varies by category and duration — ₹100 a year for Basic, ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 a year for State, ₹7,500 a year for Central — and is payable to FSSAI directly. We tell you the exact total before you proceed.
Can one licence cover multiple outlets?
No. Each premises needs its own licence, since the licence is tied to a specific address. If you operate in more than one state you will also need a Central licence for the head office. We can handle multiple locations together at a reduced rate.
How long does the licence last?
You choose a term between one and five years at the time of application. Longer terms work out cheaper per year and save you the renewal exercise, so most of our clients take three or five years.
★★★★★
"Got the FSSAI licence for my cloud kitchen in under a week, entirely online. The price was a fraction of what two local consultants had quoted me, and they advised State rather than Basic which turned out to be correct."
S
Sahil KapoorCloud kitchen · New Delhi