Last reviewed: 20 August 2026. FSSAI's turnover bands roughly quadrupled effective 1 April 2026 — a huge number of small restaurants, caterers, cloud kitchens and traders that needed a State License under the old Rs 12 lakh cut-off now only need the far simpler, cheaper Basic Registration. But turnover isn't the whole story: a handful of activity-based categories (importers, e-commerce food platforms, nutraceutical manufacturers, five-star hotels, multi-state head offices) always need a Central License, whatever their turnover. This selector applies both rules correctly.
Old thresholds vs the revised 1 April 2026 thresholds
| Tier | Old turnover band | Revised turnover band |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Registration | Up to Rs 12 lakh | Up to Rs 1.5 crore |
| State License | Rs 12 lakh – Rs 20 crore | Rs 1.5 crore – Rs 50 crore |
| Central License | Above Rs 20 crore | Above Rs 50 crore |
FSSAI Registration/License Selector
Uses the revised threshold effective 1 April 2026 and the activity-based exceptions that override turnover.
Turnover isn't the whole story
A specific list of activity-based categories always needs a Central License, no matter how small the turnover: importers, merchant-exporters and 100% Export Oriented Units; e-commerce food platforms (the platform entity, separate from what each seller on it needs); manufacturers of nutraceuticals, health supplements, proprietary/non-standardised foods, or radiation-processed foods; five-star-and-above hotels (one-to-four-star hotels follow the normal bands); central government catering; and registered head offices spanning multiple states. None of these categories get to use Basic Registration or State License purely because their revenue happens to be small.
Correcting a common myth: caterers do NOT always need a State License
Several older or unofficial sources still claim every caterer, however small, must hold a State License. That is not correct under the current rules — caterers follow the same turnover bands as any other food business. A small caterer with turnover under Rs 1.5 crore is squarely in Basic Registration territory now, just like a similarly sized restaurant or trader.
A worked example: a home-based tiffin service with Rs 40 lakh annual turnover, serving only local households, needs nothing more than Basic Registration under the revised rule — a Rs 100 annual fee and a same-day-to-7-day FoSCoS application. Contrast that with a specialty spice exporter doing just Rs 25 lakh in turnover: because exporting food is one of the fixed activity-based exceptions, that business needs a full Central License despite having a fraction of the tiffin service's revenue. Turnover alone would have suggested the opposite ranking.
What to do once you know your tier
Basic Registration is the fastest route — a straightforward online FoSCoS application, typically processed within 7 days (up to 30 days if an inspection is triggered), with minimal documentation. State and Central License applications ask for more: a food safety management plan or Schedule 4 declaration, layout plans for manufacturing units, water testing reports where applicable, and category-specific annexures depending on what you produce, import or serve. Getting the tier right before you apply avoids the most common rejection reason we see — businesses applying for Basic Registration when their turnover or activity actually required a State or Central License, which gets reverted rather than approved. See our FSSAI rejection and revert fixes guide if that's already happened to you, and our post-licence compliance checklist for what comes next.
Frequently asked questions
What changed with the new Rs 1.5 crore FSSAI threshold?
Effective 1 April 2026, all three turnover bands roughly quadrupled: Basic Registration now covers turnover up to Rs 1.5 crore (was Rs 12 lakh), State License covers Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 50 crore (was Rs 12 lakh to Rs 20 crore), and Central License applies above Rs 50 crore (was above Rs 20 crore). A large share of restaurants, caterers, cloud kitchens and small manufacturers that needed a State License under the old rule now only need the far simpler Basic Registration.
Are caterers always required to hold a State License, regardless of turnover?
No — this is a common misconception picked up from older or unofficial sources. Caterers are treated like any other food business under the revised rules: if turnover is within Rs 1.5 crore, Basic Registration is enough; above that, State License applies per the normal turnover bands. There is no blanket rule forcing every caterer into State License.
My turnover is well under Rs 50 crore, but I export food products — which license do I need?
Central License, regardless of how small your turnover is. Importers, exporters (including merchant-exporters) and 100% Export Oriented Units are activity-based exceptions that always require Central License — turnover never brings them down to State or Basic level.
I run a food delivery app / e-commerce food marketplace — what does the platform itself need?
Central License, for the platform entity itself, regardless of transaction volume or the platform's own revenue structure. This is separate from the licenses each individual restaurant or seller on the platform needs for their own kitchen/premises.
Does a 3-star or 4-star hotel need a Central License like a 5-star does?
No — the always-Central rule is specifically for five-star and above hotels. Hotels rated one to four stars follow the normal turnover-based bands like any other food business.
We have outlets in three different states — do we need one Central License or a license per state?
A registered head office spanning multiple states triggers Central License at the head-office level. Each individual outlet, however, still needs its own registration or license based on that specific premises' turnover and category — the Central License at head-office level doesn't replace the need for per-outlet compliance.
What if I'm just below a threshold now but expect to cross it this year?
Apply for the tier you expect to need for the year ahead rather than the one that fits today's numbers — operating above your license's turnover ceiling is itself a compliance breach, separate from whether you've actually been caught. If you're genuinely unsure which side of a threshold you'll land on, the safer and often cheaper long-run choice is to apply one tier up rather than upgrade mid-year.
Is the annual fee the same regardless of which tier I'm in?
No — Basic Registration is a flat Rs 100/year, State License is typically Rs 2,000/year for traders, retailers and caterers and Rs 3,000-5,000/year for manufacturers depending on capacity, and Central License is Rs 7,500/year. Validity itself is now perpetual across all three tiers, subject to keeping the annual fee paid and compliance returns (like Form D1) filed on time.
We handle FSSAI registration and licensing end to end, including document preparation and FoSCoS filing.
FSSAI registration & license Talk to usThis selector reflects the FSSAI thresholds effective 1 April 2026 as reviewed on 20 August 2026. Per-outlet, storage, transport and category-specific rules can add complexity beyond what this tool models — confirm your exact case with us before applying. Related reading: FSSAI Registration & License 2026: The New Rs 1.5 Crore Threshold, FoSCoS Process Step by Step and Documents Required for FSSAI Registration.