FSSAI Registration in India: Who Needs It and Which Licence to Choose

If you make, store, transport, sell or serve food in India, you almost certainly need an FSSAI registration or licence. The rules changed in 2026: the turnover limits went up sharply, and licences no longer expire. This guide explains what FSSAI registration is, who needs it, and which of the three types applies to your business.

What Is FSSAI Registration?

FSSAI stands for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the national regulator set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Under that Act, every food business operator must hold either a registration or a licence before starting business. Applications are made online on the government's Food Safety Compliance System, known as FoSCoS, at foscos.fssai.gov.in.

Once your application is approved you receive a 14-digit FSSAI number. It works like a food business's identity number, and you are expected to show it in several places:

On food labels and packaging, if you make packaged food
On invoices and bills
At your premises, along with your certificate
On food delivery and e-commerce platforms, which generally ask for it before they list you

Why it matters

An FSSAI number tells customers and regulators that your food business is on record and subject to hygiene and safety rules. In practice it also affects your ability to trade. Banks, wholesalers, marketplaces such as Swiggy and Zomato, and large buyers routinely ask for it, and food delivery platforms suspend sellers whose number has lapsed or was never obtained.

What changed in 2026

Two big reforms took effect on 1 April 2026, under amendment regulations notified on 10 March 2026:

Higher turnover limits. The ceiling for the simplest category, basic registration, rose from ₹12 lakh to ₹1.5 crore. The ceiling for a State licence rose from ₹20 crore to ₹50 crore. Many businesses that needed a State licence before now qualify for the simpler registration.
No more periodic renewal. Registrations and licences no longer expire after one to five years. Once granted, they stay valid unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered. The government fee is still payable every year, and a licence is treated as suspended if the fee is not paid.

Many articles online, including some published this year, still quote the old ₹12 lakh and ₹20 crore limits and the renewal rules. If you see those numbers, the page is out of date.

Who Needs FSSAI Registration?

The rule is broad: anyone who manufactures, processes, stores, transports, distributes, sells or imports food as a business needs an FSSAI registration or licence, whatever the size. That includes:

Restaurants, cafes, canteens, dhabas and food courts
Cloud kitchens and food delivery businesses
Bakeries, sweet shops and caterers
Grocery stores, supermarkets, kirana shops and wholesalers
Food manufacturers and processors, from small units to large plants
Warehouses, cold storage and food transporters
Dairy businesses and meat and fish sellers
Home-based businesses that cook or bake for sale, including those that sell only on social media
Sellers of packaged food on e-commerce platforms
Importers and exporters of food products

The test is whether you deal in food as a business, not whether you have a shop. If you sell food to the public, even from home or through Instagram or WhatsApp, you are a food business operator and need at least a basic registration.

Who is exempt

Two groups fall outside licensing. The exemptions are narrow, and the definition of a food business covers not-for-profit activity too, so check with the local food safety office if you are unsure.

Primary producers. Farmers and others who sell their own fresh produce directly are generally outside the licensing requirement under the Act. This covers raw produce sold by the person who grew it, not processed or packaged food made from it.
Registered street vendors. Vendors already registered under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 are now treated as deemed registered with FSSAI and do not have to apply separately. They must still follow the hygiene standards that apply to their kind of business.

Do not assume you are exempt

Many small businesses assume they are too small to need anything. That is not the case. The new registration category exists precisely to bring petty food businesses, including home kitchens, small dhabas, roadside stalls and tiny manufacturers, into a light, low-cost system. A home baker with a few lakhs of sales still needs to register, but it is now a short online form with a small fee.

Basic Registration, State Licence and Central Licence

FSSAI has three tiers, decided mainly by your annual turnover and the kind of business you run. These are the limits in force from 1 April 2026.

Basic registration

Turnover: up to ₹1.5 crore a year (earlier ₹12 lakh)
Who it suits: street food stalls, home kitchens and home bakers, small dhabas and eateries, petty manufacturers and small retailers
Form: Form A on FoSCoS
Why it is popular: the documents are few, the government fee is small (providers quote ₹100), and small businesses generally get it without a physical inspection

State licence

Turnover: above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore a year (earlier ₹12 lakh to ₹20 crore)
Who it suits: medium restaurants and hotels, regional food manufacturers and packers, distributors, larger retailers and wholesalers
Form: Form B on FoSCoS
Issued by: the food safety authority of the state where the business operates
Needed regardless of turnover for some kinds of business, such as caterers, hotels below five stars, mid-day meal caterers, event-based food service operators, dairy units and slaughterhouses

Central licence

Turnover: above ₹50 crore a year (earlier above ₹20 crore)
Who it suits: large manufacturers and processors and national-level food businesses
Form: Form B on FoSCoS
Issued by: FSSAI at the central level
Needed regardless of turnover for categories such as food importers and exporters, e-commerce food businesses, five-star hotels, government establishments and operations spread over more than one state

The exact category depends on your kind of business as listed on FoSCoS, so use the eligibility guidance on the portal before you choose. Applying under the wrong tier is a common reason for rejection.

Working out your category

Note your annual turnover from all food activity, not just one product or shop.
Check whether your kind of business is one that needs a higher licence regardless of turnover.
Check whether you operate in one state or several, and whether you import, export or sell through e-commerce platforms.
Pick the tier that fits, and if two seem to apply, take the higher one.

If your category changes

If your turnover grows beyond your category's limit, you apply for an upgrade by filing a modification application on FoSCoS. If your business now qualifies for a lower category, for example a State licence holder with turnover under ₹1.5 crore, you apply for the lower registration and surrender the old licence. After either change, update your FSSAI number on labels, invoices and records.

What Happens If You Operate Without FSSAI Registration

Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act makes it an offence to manufacture, sell, store, distribute or import food without a licence where one is required. The punishment can be imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh. Officers can inspect premises and, in serious cases, seal them or seize food stock. Repeat offences and unsafe food can lead to suspension or cancellation of your licence and to higher penalties.

There are practical costs even if you are never prosecuted:

Food delivery and e-commerce platforms can delist you
Banks, wholesalers and large buyers may refuse to deal with you
You cannot legally print an FSSAI number on your labels
Customers and competitors can report you to the food safety authority

Common Questions

I run a small home kitchen. Do I really need to register? Yes. If you sell food, even from home or through social media, you are a food business operator. Under the 2026 limits, most home businesses fall under basic registration.

Do I need GST registration as well as FSSAI? They are separate. FSSAI covers food safety, while GST depends on your turnover and the kind of supply you make. Some food businesses need both, and food sellers on delivery platforms generally need GST registration too.

Do I need to renew my licence? You no longer apply for renewal. Since 1 April 2026, registrations and licences do not expire, but the government fee is still payable every year and a licence is treated as suspended if it is not paid. You must also keep meeting the hygiene and safety rules and update your details on FoSCoS when your business changes.

Are the turnover limits I read about last year still correct? No. The old limits of ₹12 lakh and ₹20 crore were replaced by ₹1.5 crore and ₹50 crore for new applications from 1 April 2026.

Where do I apply? On the FoSCoS portal. Our separate guide on how to get an FSSAI licence covers the documents, the steps and the fees.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Thresholds, fees and procedures change by notification, so confirm current details on FoSCoS or with a food safety consultant before you apply.