The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a new program for quicker licensing and registration of food businesses. A public notice on this launch was issued on July 1, 2024.
What is Tatkal?
Inspired by the “Tatkal” system for faster passport issuance, this program allows instant licenses or registrations for specific food businesses. It operates through FSSAI’s online Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS).
Benefits of Tatkal
- Faster processing: Licenses are issued instantly, while registrations take minutes.
- Ease of doing business: Reduces wait times for starting food businesses.
Applicability
The tatkal facility will be available only to select categories of Food Business Operators (FBOs) operating the specific Kinds of Businesses (KOBs).
| Serial Number | Kind of Business (KoB) | Permitted Food Categories for Availing Tatkal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Importer | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories |
| 2 | Merchant-Exporter | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories |
| 3 | Wholesalers | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories, except Meat and Fish |
| 4 | Distributer | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories, except Meat and Fish |
| 5 | Retailer | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories, except Meat and Fish |
| 6 | Transporter | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories, except Dairy, Meat and Fish |
| 7 | Storage Without Atmospheric Control + Cold | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories, except Meat and Fish |
| 8 | Food Vending Agencies | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories, except Meat and Fish |
| 9 | Direct Sellers | Pre-packed Products of all Food Categories, except Meat and Fish |
| 10 | Petty Retailers of Snacks or Tea Shops | Prepared food (lose food) of all Food Categories, except Meat and Fish |
| 11 | Hawker (Itinerant or Mobile Food Vendor) | Prepared food (lose food) of all Food Categories, except Meat and Fish |
This Instant (tatkal) issuance of License or Registration will be rolled out in a phased manner. To start with, this facility will be available only for the States/ UTs of Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, & Kerala from June 28, 2024.
However, in the first instance, the facility will not be available to partnership or registered firms. The facility will be extended to such FBOs in the course of time.
Furthermore, the tatkal facility for direct sellers in the above specified states will be available from July 11, 2024.
Digital Verification Process
The tatkal facility uses digital verification for renewal of licences or registration through the following identity documents:
| Licence/ Registration | Type of Business/ KoB | Required Identity Documents |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Proprietorship firms | GST and AADHAAR |
| Licence | Partnership/Registered Firms | CIN or GST and AADHAAR |
| Registration | Petty FBOs (Sr. No. 1 to 9 above) | PAN and AADHAAR |
| Registration | Petty Retailers of Snacks or Tea Shops | only AADHAAR |
| Registration | Hawker (Itinerant or Mobile Food Vendor) | only AADHAAR |
Declarations and Fees
Applicants must declare that they have no existing licences or registrations at the same location. They shall also declare that there has been no suspensions or cancellations of their licences or registrations in the past three months.
The applicant will also be required to upload photographs of the unit, specifically including images of the entrance/front facing of the unit, which shall help in identifying their food business unit for which license/registration has been obtained instantly.
Moreover, the applicant will be required to pay the entire annual fee for license/registration during filing of application.
Validity of Licence/ Registration
The validity of instant license/ registration will be one year. Thereafter, it may be renewed as per existing procedure for renewal of license/ registration.
Disclaimers
These instant licenses/ registrations under tatkal are based on self-declaration. Therefore, any false declaration shall attract a penalty up to Rs. 10 lakhs. It is also pertinent to note that the tatkal license/ registration does not grant the FBO any ownership claims to the premises.
