What licenses and registrations do I legally need before I can start selling?
The short answer
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.
Go deeper, your way
2 hand-picked resources, 2 link-checked. Pick how you want to dig in.
📄 Article
✓ Link checkedIndiaFreeIntermediate
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.
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.
