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Business licences · checked 11 November 2026
Register under your state's Shops and Establishments Act within 30 days of opening, then add the licence your product needs, such as FSSAI for food.
There is no single business licence in India: the Shops and Establishments registration comes from your state's labour department portal, and a regulated product adds its own, FSSAI for food, CDSCO for cosmetics, BIS for listed electronics, RBI for payments and lending. FSSAI's tier follows turnover: Basic Registration at ₹100 a year up to ₹1.5 crore, a State Licence at ₹5,000 up to ₹50 crore, a Central Licence above that. E-commerce operators and food importers need the Central Licence at any size.
The steps 14 answers
- How do I get a Shop and Establishment licence? Starting Up
- I'm building a food business, what FSSAI licence do I need to sell legally? Starting Up
- What licenses, registrations, and tax IDs do I need right after incorporation to legally operate and pay people? Starting Up
- What licenses and registrations do I legally need before I can start selling? Starting Up
- I'm a doctor with a clinic idea, do I need regulatory licenses before I open? Starting Up
- I'm building fintech (payments/lending), do I need an RBI licence to launch? Starting Up
- I'm selling a physical D2C product (cosmetics, supplements, wellness). What product approvals do I need before I list? Starting Up
- Beyond incorporation, what other registrations do I actually need before I can legally take my first order? D2C
- I'm selling packaged food/snacks online, what FSSAI license do I need, and does my turnover matter? D2C
- I make skincare/cosmetics at home or with a small manufacturer, do I need a CDSCO license before I can sell? D2C
- I import or sell gadgets/electronics, what's this BIS CRS mark I keep hearing about? D2C
- What exactly has to be on my product label/pack to be legally compliant under Legal Metrology? D2C
- How do I even figure out which licenses apply to MY specific product, is there a single checklist? D2C
- What actually happens if I sell without the right license, how big a risk is it really? D2C
The readingMost used across these answers
- FSSAI kind of business: eligibility criteria and fee structure (updated 1 April 2026) Read · 2 answers
- FSSAI order: revised turnover thresholds for registration and licences (13 March 2026) Read · 2 answers
- SPICe+ and linked filings: official FAQs Read
- Legal and Regulatory Checklist for Startups in India Read
- Bio-medical waste management (CPCB) Read
- Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) Read
- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) Read
- FoSCoS FAQs on Licensing and Registration Read
- BIS CRS Certification for IT and Electronic Products in India Read · 3 answers
- Navigating the Legal Metrology Act for E-commerce in India (2025) Read · 2 answers
The terms
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