The FSSAI license, which is likewise called as the Food License is one of the compulsory licenses essential to open a restaurant and is obtained from the FSSAI Registration (Food Safety and Standard Authority of India).
FSSAI is an independent organization which is established by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. It was formed in August 2011 under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. It was in association with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as well as the Central government.
FSSAI license mostly serves as the approval of the authority towards the restaurant which makes certain the consumers that the food of the restaurant confirms the food safety standards. FSSAI license is mainly a unique 14 digit registration number that is given towards restaurants, manufacturers, and traders which must be printed on the food packages. This upholds the consumers that they are eating at the right place which followed every of the safety food standards.

Food business operators like small to medium-sized manufacturers, storage units, transporters, retailers, marketers, distributors etc. are however required to obtain the Fssai State License. The State License is issued by the State Government and it is important that you have operations in only 1 state like Delhi, in order to obtain the State FSSAI License in Delhi. It is thus mostly for the units having an annual turnover of more than 12 lakh. The maximum tenure of this license is 5 years and the minimum is 1 year.

• FBOs like restaurants, retailers, distributors, and suppliers with an annual turnover of more than Rs. 20 crore.
• Manufacturing and processing units of vegetable oil by the method of solvent extraction and factories including oil expeller unit, with a capacity of over 2 metric tonnes per day.
• Dhaba, club, canteen, and other food vending establishments with branches spread in more than one state and an annual turnover of more than Rs. 12 lakh.
• Wholesalers that have an annual turnover of not less than Rs. 30 crores.
• Hotels that have been rated 5-star or more.
• 100 % export oriented units involved in food production or processing.
• Every Importer including the import of food ingredients or additives.
• Caterers working under Central Government or related agencies such as Railways, Airlines and airport, Seaport, Defence, etc.
• Storages with a capacity of more than 50,000 metric tonnes,
• Dairy Units (including chilling units), with a capacity to handle or process, over 50,000 litres per day,
• A slaughtering capacity of over 50 large animals or more than 150 small animals or more than 1000 poultry birds per day,
• All food processing units including re-packers and excluding the grains, pulses & cereals milling units with a capacity of over 2 metric tonnes per day.
• All FBOs involved in producing an item of food, additive or its ingredient, using some new process or technology, and/or a combination thereof, whose safety has not been established yet by the FSSAI. Or they may not have a history of safe usage. It covers the food articles being introduced in the country, for the first time.