How do I start a food business from home or a small kitchen in India?
You can start a home kitchen legally with one registration: FSSAI Basic Registration on FoSCoS, which costs Rs 100 a year and, since 1 April 2026, covers turnover up to Rs 1.5 crore. GST is not needed below Rs 20 lakh of turnover, even when you sell through Swiggy or Zomato, which ask for your FSSAI number, PAN and bank details before listing you. Get your housing society's or landlord's consent in writing, check whether your city wants a municipal trade licence for cooking at home, and register on Udyam for free. If you pack food with a printed price for shops, add Legal Metrology packer registration (Rs 500). Start with a fixed weekly menu sold to people you know, then a neighbourhood WhatsApp group, and list on the apps once you can cook the same dish the same way every day. What kills most home food businesses is inconsistent taste and supply once orders grow.
FSSAI's own order setting the food licence tiers in force from 1 April 2026: Registration up to Rs 1.5 crore turnover, State Licence above Rs 1.5 crore and up to Rs 50 crore, Central Licence above Rs 50 crore. It supersedes the old Rs 12 lakh and Rs 20 crore limits most guides still quote.
A current (July 2026) guide to starting a home tiffin or dabba service: the Rs 100-a-year FSSAI Registration is the one universal requirement, no GST is needed below Rs 20 lakh of turnover even on Swiggy or Zomato, and the real gatekeepers are your housing society and municipal by-laws.
An August 2026 guide to FSSAI on the new slabs: Basic registration at Rs 100 a year up to Rs 1.5 crore turnover, State and Central licences above, and the 14-digit number Swiggy and Zomato require before listing.
An August 2026 guide to the Legal Metrology rules every packed product meets: the Rs 500 one-time registration for manufacturers, packers and importers within 90 days of starting, the mandatory label declarations (MRP inclusive of taxes, net quantity, unit sale price, consumer care), and the stamping of trade scales.
A state Legal Metrology department's own FAQ: who counts as a packer, the declarations every pre-packed commodity must carry, and registration of manufacturers, packers and importers under Rule 27 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, with a Rs 500 fee for new registration. Registration is with your own state's Controller of Legal Metrology.
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.
Zomato's own sign-up page for restaurants and home kitchens, listing what you need to go live: PAN, GST number if applicable, FSSAI licence, bank details and your menu.
