FSSAI — Which Tier?

There are three tiers of FSSAI licensing in India. Picking the wrong one is the most common rejection reason.

Basic Registration

• Turnover up to Rs. 12 lakh per annum.
• Small kirana stores, hawkers, tea stalls, home kitchens, small caterers.
• Single-state operation.

State License

• Turnover Rs. 12 lakh to Rs. 20 crore.
• Restaurants, mid-sized food manufacturers, cloud kitchens at scale.
• Single-state operation only.

Central License

• Turnover above Rs. 20 crore.
• Any business operating in more than one state.
• Importers, exporters, manufacturers serving the central government.

Common mistakes

• Cloud kitchen brands operating in two cities miss that they need Central, not State.
• Importers think Basic is enough because their import volumes are small — it is not, importing always requires Central.

Documents you will need

The full list depends on tier, but always: PAN, Aadhaar of proprietor, premise address proof, list of food categories, and (for State and Central) a layout plan and water test report.