What is FSSAI Registration & License?
FSSAI registration and licensing is mandatory authorisation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for anyone manufacturing, storing, distributing, selling, or importing food. Depending on your annual turnover and business type, you need Basic Registration, a State License, or a Central License — issued through the FoSCoS portal, and since April 2026, valid perpetually rather than for a fixed term.
A concrete example first
A home baker in Nashik started selling cakes through a local Instagram page and a food delivery app. Within a year, order volumes had grown enough that the delivery app's onboarding team asked for her FSSAI number before letting her list more than a handful of products. She didn't have one — and hadn't realised she needed one for a business she still ran out of her own kitchen.
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Check my category →Why FSSAI registration exists
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the single regulator created under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, replacing a patchwork of older food laws. Its job is to set and enforce food safety standards — registration and licensing exist so the regulator knows who's manufacturing, processing, storing, distributing, selling, or importing food, and can hold them to those standards.
The three tiers, in brief
FSSAI authorisation comes in three tiers based on turnover and business type: Basic Registration for small businesses, a State License for mid-sized ones operating within one state, and a Central License for large businesses or specific categories like importers and exporters. See our breakdown of Basic Registration vs State License and State vs Central License for the detailed differences.
Does every food business need FSSAI registration?
Almost every food business does, whether manufacturing, processing, storing, distributing, or selling food, including home-based and online sellers. The tier you need — Basic, State, or Central — depends on turnover and business type, but very few genuinely food-related businesses are fully exempt.
This article is for general information only. For your specific situation, consult a practicing CA.
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