Quick Answer
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) requires every food business operator (FBO) to obtain either a Registration or a Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. There are three tiers: (1) Basic Registration — for petty manufacturers and small retailers with annual turnover up to Rs 12 lakh; (2) State Licence — for medium-sized FBOs with turnover above Rs 12 lakh and up to Rs 20 crore; (3) Central Licence — for large FBOs with turnover above Rs 20 crore, importers, exporters, and operators in multiple states. Operating without a valid FSSAI registration/licence is an offence under Section 63 of the Act, punishable with imprisonment up to 6 months and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh. At Virtual Auditor, we handle FSSAI registration and licensing from Rs 3,999 (professional fees; government fees extra).
Definition — Food Business Operator (FBO): Under Section 3(1)(o) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, a “food business operator” means a person by whom the food business is carried on or owned and is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act. Under Section 3(1)(n), “food business” means any undertaking, whether for profit or not, and whether public or private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution of food, import, and includes food services, catering services, sale of food, or food ingredients.
Basic FSSAI Registration is required for petty food business operators as defined under Section 31(2) of the FSS Act. The criteria:
State FSSAI Licence is required for medium-sized FBOs operating within a single state. The criteria:
Central FSSAI Licence is required for large FBOs and specific categories regardless of turnover. The criteria:
| Parameter | Basic Registration | State Licence | Central Licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | Up to Rs 12 lakh | Rs 12 lakh – Rs 20 crore | Above Rs 20 crore |
| FSSAI Number Digits | 14 digits | 14 digits | 14 digits |
| Form | Form A | Form B | Form B |
| Govt Fee (per year) | Rs 100 | Rs 2,000 – Rs 5,000 | Rs 7,500 |
| Inspection | Not mandatory | May be conducted | Mandatory before grant |
| Processing Time | 7 days | 30-60 days | 30-60 days |
Practitioner Insight — CA V. Viswanathan, IBBI/RV/03/2019/12333
The most frequent compliance gap we encounter at Virtual Auditor is D2C food startups operating with a Basic Registration when they should have a State or Central Licence. A cloud kitchen doing Rs 50 lakh annual turnover on Zomato and Swiggy needs a State Licence, not a Basic Registration. The FSSAI has been actively auditing food aggregator platforms and cross-referencing FBO licence types with reported GMV data. An FBO operating with the wrong tier of registration/licence faces a penalty under Section 63 of the FSS Act. We recommend upgrading the licence tier proactively as turnover scales — reach out for a compliance audit.
Based on annual turnover, production capacity, and the nature of operations (importer, multi-state, aggregator), determine whether Basic Registration, State Licence, or Central Licence is required.
All FSSAI applications are filed through the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) portal. Create an account using PAN, mobile number, and email. The portal replaced the earlier FLRS system.
For Basic Registration, fill Form A. For State/Central Licence, fill Form B. Key fields include:
Upload the required documents and pay the government fee online through the FoSCoS portal.
For State and Central Licences, a food safety officer may conduct an inspection of the premises within 30 days of application. The officer verifies hygiene conditions, equipment, water quality, storage conditions, and compliance with Schedule 4 of the FSS (Licensing and Registration) Regulations.
Upon satisfactory review (and inspection, where applicable), the FSSAI licence is issued electronically through the FoSCoS portal. The 14-digit FSSAI licence number must be displayed on all food product labels and packaging.
Under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, every pre-packaged food product must display:
Every FSSAI-licensed FBO must file an annual return in Form D-1 on the FoSCoS portal by 31 May of each year for the preceding financial year. The return includes details of food articles manufactured, quantity produced, and turnover.
Under the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme, every FBO with a State or Central Licence must have at least one trained food safety supervisor. The training is conducted by FSSAI-approved training partners and covers basic food hygiene, safety practices, and HACCP principles.
Central Licence holders and certain State Licence holders are subject to food safety audits by FSSAI-empanelled auditors. The audit frequency depends on the risk category of the food business.
Practitioner Insight — CA V. Viswanathan, IBBI/RV/03/2019/12333
The annual return (Form D-1) deadline of 31 May is commonly missed by food businesses, resulting in show-cause notices. At Virtual Auditor, we integrate the FSSAI annual return into our clients’ overall annual compliance calendar alongside income tax and GST filings. We also track licence renewal dates — a lapsed FSSAI licence cannot be renewed; a fresh application must be filed, which delays operations. We recommend filing the renewal application at least 30 days before expiry. Check our compliance packages for ongoing food business support.
The FSS Act, 2006 prescribes the following penalties:
| Offence | Section | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Operating without licence/registration | Section 63 | Imprisonment up to 6 months and fine up to Rs 5 lakh |
| Sub-standard food | Section 59 | Fine up to Rs 5 lakh |
| Misbranded food | Section 60 | Fine up to Rs 3 lakh; second offence up to Rs 5 lakh |
| Misleading advertisement | Section 53 | Fine up to Rs 10 lakh |
| Unsafe food causing injury | Section 58 | Imprisonment up to 1 year and fine up to Rs 5 lakh |
| Unsafe food causing death | Section 59 | Imprisonment up to 7 years and fine up to Rs 10 lakh |
Summary — Key Takeaways
Yes. Any food business, including home-based operations (home bakers, tiffin services, pickle makers), must obtain at least a Basic FSSAI Registration if the annual turnover is up to Rs 12 lakh. This applies regardless of whether you sell through physical stores, online platforms, or social media. The government fee for Basic Registration is only Rs 100 per year.
No. All food businesses selling through e-commerce platforms or food aggregators (Zomato, Swiggy, Amazon, Flipkart) must have a valid FSSAI registration or licence. E-commerce platforms are required to verify and display the FSSAI licence number of every FBO listed on their platform under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Business Licensing and Registration) Regulations.
FSSAI Registration (Basic) is a simpler process filed through Form A for petty food businesses with turnover up to Rs 12 lakh. FSSAI Licence (State or Central) is a more detailed process filed through Form B for larger businesses. The key difference is the level of scrutiny — licences may require premise inspection, whereas Basic Registration typically does not.
Basic Registration: 7 days (auto-approved if no query). State Licence: 30-60 days from the date of complete application submission. Central Licence: 30-60 days, subject to inspection. If the licensing authority does not act within 60 days of a complete application, the licence is deemed granted under the provisions of the Act.
Yes. If a food business operates from multiple premises (e.g., multiple restaurant outlets), each premises requires a separate FSSAI licence. However, a single head office can hold one Central Licence while individual outlets hold State Licences. The head office licence covers common functions like procurement and quality control.
Displaying a fake, expired, or incorrect FSSAI licence number on food packaging or at the business premises is an offence under Section 63 of the FSS Act. The penalty includes imprisonment up to 6 months and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh. Food aggregator platforms also delist FBOs found with invalid FSSAI numbers.
Yes. A municipal health trade licence and an FSSAI registration/licence are separate requirements. The municipal licence permits operating a business at the premises; the FSSAI licence certifies compliance with food safety standards. Both are mandatory. A restaurant with turnover above Rs 12 lakh needs a State FSSAI Licence in addition to the municipal licence.
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The FSS Act, 2006 prescribes the following penalties:
The FSS Act, 2006 prescribes the following penalties:
The FSS Act, 2006 prescribes the following penalties:
The FSS Act, 2006 prescribes the following penalties:
The FSS Act, 2006 prescribes the following penalties: