Real-World Scenarios & Access

What licenses and registrations do I legally need before I can start selling?

A starting point

There's no single 'business license' in India, it depends on what you sell and where. Almost everyone needs GST registration once they cross the turnover threshold, plus a state Shops & Establishment registration; regulated sectors then stack their own approvals on top (food, health, finance). Map your specific product to its regulator before you launch, because selling without the right approval can get you shut down or fined.

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Read

📄 Article
India Free Intermediate

Licenses & Registrations Required to Start a Business in India

From ClearTax by ClearTax ~12 min read

Why we picked it

A clear, regularly-updated Indian explainer that maps the practical, sector-agnostic registrations most founders hit first, GST, licensing tiers, documents, thresholds, and process. Use it as an orientation map to figure out what applies to you, then confirm the specifics with the relevant official regulator.

  • Which licence you need depends on what you sell and your turnover, there's no single universal permit.
  • FSSAI has three tiers by turnover: Basic (<~Rs.12 lakh), State (up to Rs.20 crore), Central (above).
  • Applications and documents flow through official portals like FoSCoS; expect inspection for some tiers.
  • Operating without the right registration carries real penalties, verify before you start selling.
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India Free Intermediate

FoSCoS, Apply for FSSAI Licence / Registration & Sector Regulators

From Government of India (foscos.fssai.gov.in / rbi.org.in) by FSSAI (and RBI for fintech) portal

Why we picked it

The official front door for the most common sector licence founders need, food, plus a reminder that regulated sectors each have their own primary regulator. For fintech, the RBI regulatory sandbox and payment-aggregator authorisation are the legitimate paths (see note); for food, FoSCoS is where you actually apply.

  • FoSCoS is the official FSSAI portal to apply for and renew food-business registration/licences online.
  • Fintech is RBI-regulated: payment aggregators need RBI authorisation and a Rs.15 crore net-worth floor.
  • RBI's regulatory sandbox (fintech.rbi.org.in/FT_RegSandbox) is the legitimate way to live-test innovations.
  • Regulated sectors, food, health, finance, require sector approval before selling, not after.
Open foscos.fssai.gov.in →

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