FSSAI Central License

FSSAI Central Licence: General Rule and Exceptions

This page is the national owner for FSSAI Central Licence intent. For new applications made on or after 1 April 2026, the general turnover rule places food businesses above ₹50 crore in the Central Licence category. Central eligibility is not limited to turnover or to a vague statement that a business “operates across multiple States.”

The current FoSCoS KOB matrix assigns several activities or locations to the Central Licensing Authority irrespective of the general turnover band. The exact KOB, premises and operational model must be checked before filing.

Common Central-Licence Triggers

• Turnover: above ₹50 crore where the KOB row uses the revised turnover framework.
• Import and e-commerce: importers and e-commerce food business operators are Central categories under the current matrix.
• Specified export and special manufacturing activities: 100% export-oriented units, exporter-manufacturers, non-specified foods, Ayurveda Aahara and radiation-processing activities appear in Central rows.
• Specified premises or institutions: food businesses at airports or seaports, Central Government agencies and certain railway categories follow special Central routes.
• Hotels: five-star-and-above hotels are shown under the Central category; other hotel rows differ.
• Multi-State organisations: a Central permission for the head or registered office does not automatically replace the permission required for each operating unit or premises. Check every location in FoSCoS.

Central vs State Licence

Documents Required for a Central Licence

Central Licence documents vary materially by KOB. The current FoSCoS checklist may request entity and authorised-person records, premises proof and layout, product and capacity details, machinery information, a food safety management plan, water analysis, technical-person records, recall plan, or category-specific evidence such as IEC, Ministry classification, nomination or NOC documents. Not every item applies to every applicant.

Use the document checklist produced for the exact Central KOB. A generic importer, manufacturer, warehouse, hotel and e-commerce checklist should not be presented as interchangeable.

Central Licence Application Process

• Confirm the Central result in the FoSCoS eligibility tool for each premises and KOB.
• Complete the relevant Form B details and upload only the documents required for that category.
• Pay the amount calculated by FoSCoS and retain the application reference.
• Respond to clarifications and cooperate with inspection or audit if selected under the applicable risk-based process.
• After grant, display the licence and maintain the conditions, records, returns, testing, hygiene and safety controls that apply to the activity.
• Use the modification procedure when certificate details or material business particulars change.

The authority—not an adviser—decides whether clarification, inspection or further evidence is required. The 2026 framework is risk-based; it does not support a universal inspection promise or a guaranteed approval period.

Government Fee and Perpetual Validity

The current FoSCoS KOB eligibility matrix displays ₹7,500 for Central Licence categories. Confirm the amount in the live application because category and portal calculations control payment. Professional advisory charges are separate from the government amount.

A Central Licence remains valid unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered. The former one-to-five-year selection and routine renewal wording is no longer current under the 2026 reform. Perpetual validity does not remove modification requirements or continuing compliance obligations.

Kickstart Central Licence Support

Kickstart Business Advisors LLP can help map the business to the relevant Central KOB, organise the category-specific documents, prepare the FoSCoS filing and support responses to queries within the agreed scope. It cannot guarantee eligibility, inspection outcome, processing time or grant.

Regulatory source note: checked 25 August 2026 against the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026; FSSAI orders dated 13 and 27 March 2026; and the FoSCoS Kind of Business eligibility matrix updated 1 April 2026. FoSCoS eligibility must be checked for the exact activity and premises before filing.