The FSSAI rulebook changed on 1 April 2026 — and most food businesses are still working off the old numbers
If you run anything that touches food — a cloud kitchen, a café, a packaged-snacks brand, a spice trader, a caterer — you need an FSSAI licence. That has not changed. What changed, quietly, on 1 April 2026, is almost everything about which licence you need and how long it lasts. The turnover slabs that decide whether you need a simple registration or a full State licence jumped by more than ten times, and FSSAI licences stopped expiring altogether. Founders acting on advice written before this year are picking the wrong category and still diarising renewal dates that no longer exist. Here is what an FSSAI licence is, the new 2026 thresholds, the businesses that need the top-tier licence no matter how small they are, and the perpetual-validity change that quietly rewired the whole system.
What FSSAI licensing is, and who needs it
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the national regulator for food, set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Any Food Business Operator (FBO) — anyone who manufactures, processes, packs, stores, distributes, sells, imports or serves food — must be registered with or licensed by FSSAI before operating. That net is wide: it catches restaurants and cloud kitchens, packaged-food and beverage brands, dairies and bakeries, wholesalers and retailers, transporters and cold stores, e-commerce food sellers, and caterers. If food passes through your hands as a business, you are an FBO, and operating without the right FSSAI credential is an offence under the Act. Applications are made online on the FoSCoS portal (Food Safety Compliance System, foscos.fssai.gov.in), which replaced the older system as the single window for every registration and licence.
The three tiers — and the new 2026 turnover thresholds
FSSAI credentials come in three tiers, and which one you need is driven mainly by your annual turnover. The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026 raised the slabs dramatically with effect from 1 April 2026:
- Basic Registration — for small FBOs with annual turnover up to ₹1.5 crore (previously the limit was just ₹12 lakh). This is the simplest tier and covers most small outlets and home-scale food businesses.
- State Licence — for medium FBOs with turnover above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore (previously ₹12 lakh to ₹20 crore), issued by the State food authority.
- Central Licence — for large FBOs with turnover above ₹50 crore (previously above ₹20 crore), issued by FSSAI centrally.
The practical effect is big: a business that would have needed a State licence on the old ₹12 lakh line may now sit comfortably inside Basic Registration, and many that were on State licences fall well below the new ₹50 crore Central threshold. The amendment came out of the NITI Aayog High Level Committee on regulatory reform and was notified by gazette on 10 March 2026, with an implementation order dated 13 March 2026 confirming the 1 April start date.
The businesses that need a Central Licence regardless of turnover
Turnover is the main test, but not the only one. Some categories require a Central Licence irrespective of how small they are — most importantly importers and exporters of food, and food businesses operating through e-commerce, along with large or specialised operations such as 100% export-oriented units and operators at ports, airports and central-government premises. So a tiny startup importing a single specialty ingredient, or selling a boutique food product only through an online marketplace, can need the top-tier Central Licence even with modest sales. This is one of the most common places a food founder gets the category wrong — the turnover slab says "Basic", but the activity says "Central".
The 14-digit number you must display
Every FSSAI registration or licence carries a 14-digit number, and it is not just for your records. The Act requires the FBO to display this number prominently at the business premises and to print it on food packaging and labels. Customers, marketplaces and inspectors all look for it, and its absence on a label is itself a compliance failure. For a consumer brand, the 14-digit number on the pack is the visible proof that the product is from a registered, accountable food business.
The quiet 2026 change: licences no longer expire
This is the reform that changes how you should think about FSSAI going forward. Until this year, an FSSAI registration or licence had to be renewed every one to five years, and letting it lapse was a routine, painful problem. The 2026 amendment introduced perpetual validity: registrations and licences issued from 1 April 2026 do not expire, and FBOs can even pay the fee for as many years as they like, at any time. But "perpetual" does not mean "forget it exists". Continued validity is now tied to ongoing compliance and risk-based inspection rather than a renewal date — the system shifted from time-based renewal to risk-based oversight. You still have to keep your details current, meet hygiene and safety standards, and file the annual return where it applies (manufacturers file an annual return in Form D-1). The renewal reminder is gone; the responsibility to stay compliant is not.
Where this sits in starting up
For a food business, the FSSAI licence is the registration that gives you the right to trade at all — it belongs on the day-one checklist next to the other core registrations. It sits alongside your Shop & Establishment registration and professional tax for the premises and staff, your GST registration once you cross the threshold, and your Udyam registration for MSME benefits. If you import ingredients or export your products, it pairs with your Import Export Code — and, as above, that import/export activity pushes you into the Central Licence tier. Which credential you need also depends on the entity you chose when you picked your structure, so the FSSAI category is best decided as part of the wider starting-a-business plan rather than in a scramble before your first order ships.
How we handle it at RDA, Baner
At RDA Advisory, Baner, we get your FSSAI category right the first time — under the new 2026 rules, not the old ones. We assess your turnover and your activity together, so an importer or e-commerce seller is put on the Central Licence they actually need rather than a registration that gets rejected, apply on the FoSCoS portal, and make sure your 14-digit number is displayed and label-ready. We line the FSSAI licence up with your GST, Shop Act, professional tax and IEC so your food business is fully compliant from day one, and we handle the Form D-1 annual return and ongoing compliance that keep a now-perpetual licence valid. Office No. 102, Snehraj Apartment, Baner, Pune 411045 · call +91 77570 45059.
Starting a food business? Get the right FSSAI licence under the 2026 rules
Launching a cloud kitchen, food brand, café or import business — or unsure whether your old FSSAI category is still right? RDA works out the correct tier under the revised 1 April 2026 thresholds, registers you on FoSCoS, and keeps you compliant so a perpetual licence stays valid. Book a consult at rdatax.in or call +91 77570 45059, or see our licensing & registrations service. RDA Advisory, Baner, Pune.
Verification note: FSSAI registration and licensing operate under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, administered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India through the FoSCoS portal (foscos.fssai.gov.in). The revised turnover thresholds described here — Basic Registration up to ₹1.5 crore, State Licence above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore, and Central Licence above ₹50 crore — were introduced by the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026 (gazette notification dated 10 March 2026, implementation order dated 13 March 2026) with effect from 1 April 2026, which also introduced perpetual validity of registrations and licences in place of periodic renewal, subject to continued compliance and risk-based inspection. Certain categories, including importers, exporters and e-commerce food business operators, require a Central Licence irrespective of turnover, and every registration/licence carries a 14-digit number that must be displayed and printed on labels. Thresholds, categories, forms and procedures are periodically revised; confirm the current position for your food business with your CA or advisor before relying on it. This is general information, not legal or professional advice.
