Health Ministry Grants Lifetime Validity to FSSAI Licences, Ends Dual Licensing for Street Food Vendors

In a major reform aimed at improving the ease of doing business in India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has approved perpetual validity for registrations and licences issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This change means food businesses will no longer need to renew their licences repeatedly. The reform is part of broader regulatory improvements based on recommendations of the NITI Aayog to simplify compliance and reduce administrative burden.

Perpetual Validity for FSSAI Registration and Licenses

Previously, food business operators had to renew their FSSAI registration or licence periodically, which involved paperwork, fees and interaction with authorities.

Under the new framework, FSSAI licences and registrations will now have perpetual validity. This means once a business obtains the licence, it will remain valid indefinitely unless cancelled or suspended due to violations.

Key Benefits

• No need for repeated licence renewals
• Lower compliance costs for businesses
• Less paperwork and administrative procedures
• Improved continuity of operations for food businesses

This reform will allow regulators to focus more on monitoring, enforcement and improving food safety standards rather than handling routine licence renewals.

Higher Turnover Limits for Registration and Licensing

The government has also revised the turnover thresholds for FSSAI registration and licensing, effective from April 1, 2026.

New Turnover Limits

• Basic Registration: Increased from ₹12 lakh to ₹1.5 crore
• State Licence: Applicable for businesses with turnover up to ₹50 crore
• Central Licence: Required for businesses with turnover above ₹50 crore

This rationalisation will strengthen the role of State authorities and simplify regulatory oversight.

Simplified Compliance for Food Business Operations

The reforms aim to make compliance much easier for food business operators (FBOs).

Key Simplification Measures

• Reduced paperwork and documentation
• Lower compliance fees
• Instant registration in many cases
• Removal of pre-inspection requirements for certain categories

These changes will especially benefit small and medium food businesses, enabling them to operate more efficiently.

Relief for Street Food Vendors

In another important decision, the government has addressed the issue of dual registrations faced by street food vendors.

Street vendors already registered with Municipal Corporations or Town Vending Committees under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 will now be considered automatically registered under FSSAI.

Impact of the Decision

• Benefits over 10 lakh street food vendors
• Eliminates multiple registrations with different departments
• Reduces compliance burden
• Allows vendors to focus on hygiene and business growth

Risk-Based Food Safety Inspections

The government is also introducing a technology-enabled risk-based inspection system to improve food safety monitoring.

Inspections will be based on:

• Nature and risk level of the food product
• Past compliance record of the business
• Results of third-party audits
• Data from enforcement and surveillance activities

This system will ensure targeted inspections of high-risk businesses, while compliant businesses face fewer unnecessary inspections.