If your business makes, stores, sells or serves food, you need to be on the FSSAI's radar. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India regulates food businesses through a tiered system of registration and licensing. Here's how to tell which tier applies to you, how to apply, and why renewal matters as much as the first registration.
Reviewed by CA Harika Chebolu, FCA · Last updated 2026-06-15
Quick answer
Anyone in the food business needs an FSSAI licence or registration. Here's which category you fall into, how to apply, and how renewal works.
The requirement is broad: it covers manufacturers, processors, packers, storage units, transporters, distributors, retailers, restaurants, cloud kitchens, caterers and many home-based food sellers. The form your compliance takes depends on the scale of your operation — smaller operators fall under basic registration, while larger businesses need a State or Central licence. Because the cut-offs between these tiers are based on turnover and the nature and scale of your activity, confirm which category you fall into before applying, rather than assuming the smallest tier covers you.
FSSAI compliance is tiered. The smallest food businesses obtain a basic registration, mid-sized operations apply for a State licence, and large manufacturers, importers and businesses operating across the country fall under the Central licence. Choosing the right tier matters because applying under the wrong one means rework and delay, and operating under a tier below what your scale requires is a compliance gap. If you grow or change your activity, you may need to move up a tier, so the choice is not permanent.
You apply online, selecting your category and submitting details of your business, the kind of food products you handle, and supporting documents such as identity and address proof and, where relevant, a food-safety management plan. Once granted, you receive a licence or registration number that you must display at your premises and, in many cases, print on your packaging. Apply under the correct tier from the start and keep your supporting documents consistent, because mismatches are a common reason applications get queried.
An FSSAI licence or registration is valid for a defined period and then must be renewed — it does not continue automatically. Renewal is best done well before expiry, because operating on a lapsed licence is treated as operating without one. Keep your records and product details current, and update the authority if your business activity, premises or scale changes. Build a reminder around the expiry so renewal never sneaks up on you in the middle of a busy season.
Beyond avoiding penalties, a valid FSSAI number is increasingly something customers, marketplaces, aggregators and corporate buyers expect to see before they deal with you. Displaying your number, printing it where required, and keeping the licence valid signals that you take food safety seriously. Treat FSSAI not as a one-time formality but as an ongoing part of running a food business cleanly — get the tier right, renew on time, and keep your details updated.
Yes — anyone who makes, stores, transports, sells or serves food needs to be registered or licensed with the FSSAI. What differs is the tier: small operators get a basic registration, while larger businesses need a State or Central licence depending on their turnover and scale.
Registration is the basic tier for the smallest food businesses, while State and Central licences apply to larger operations. Confirm which category your turnover and activity place you in before applying, since using the wrong tier means rework or a compliance gap.
It does not renew automatically — you must apply for renewal before it lapses. Operating on an expired licence is treated like operating without one, so set a reminder and renew well ahead of the expiry date.
Starting or running a food business? Write to the firm and we'll work out which FSSAI tier you need, file the application, and keep your renewals on track.