Every food business in India — from a single home baker to a 100-outlet restaurant chain — needs an FSSAI licence. The catch: there are three different licence types, and picking the wrong one means re-applying.
The three tiers
| Tier | Turnover | Validity | Govt fee | Typical for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Up to ₹12 lakh / yr | 1–5 yrs | ₹100/yr | Home bakers, tiffin services, small kiranas |
| State | ₹12 lakh – ₹20 crore | 1–5 yrs | ₹2,000–5,000/yr | Restaurants, cloud kitchens, small manufacturers |
| Central | Above ₹20 crore or multi-state operations | 1–5 yrs | ₹7,500/yr | Chains, importers/exporters, large manufacturers |
Most common case — a cloud kitchen
A typical cloud kitchen doing ₹40-50 lakh/year needs the State Licence. Documents:
- Aadhaar + PAN of proprietor
- Address proof of the kitchen — electricity bill + NOC or rent agreement
- Photograph of proprietor
- List of food items / menu — at least the categories (Indian, Chinese, bakery, beverages, etc.)
- Water test report (if you have your own borewell — most don’t, municipal water is fine)
- Form IX in case of multiple food categories
- Cancelled cheque
Turnaround: 7–14 working days for State; 30–60 days for Central (FSSAI officer inspection).
Why home bakers should still register
A lot of home bakers think they’re “too small” to need FSSAI. Three reasons to register anyway:
- Swiggy / Zomato / Dunzo / Instamart will not onboard you without an FSSAI number — even Basic registration works
- Customers increasingly ask for the FSSAI number on the packaging
- The Basic licence costs ₹100/year — cheaper than a single ad
What we handle for you
- Decide the right tier based on your actual operation
- Prepare and upload all documents to the FoSCoS portal
- Coordinate any FSSAI officer queries
- Send you the licence PDF + display-ready label
Get your FSSAI — most basic and state licences are submitted within 24 hours of you sending us the documents.