Industry-specific Licences: Mapping, Application and Renewal

What Are Industry-specific Licences?

Besides the general registrations that every business needs, such as GST, PAN and a trade licence, many industries need approval from a specialised regulator before they can start or continue operations. A chemist needs a drug licence, a factory needs a factory licence and pollution consents, a food business needs an FSSAI licence, a manufacturer of notified products may need BIS certification, and a seller of weighing or packaged goods may need legal metrology registration. These are industry-specific licences. Each is issued under a particular law, by a particular authority, on conditions that suit the risk of the industry: safety, public health, environment, consumer protection or standards.

The difficulty for a business owner is usually not one licence but the full list. It is easy to apply for the obvious licence and discover later that two others were also required, or that the sequence matters because one licence needs another as a precondition. Our industry-specific licence service starts with this mapping.

Common Industry-specific Licences and Approvals

• Drug licence: for the retail, wholesale or manufacture of drugs, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It is issued by the State Licensing Authority and typically requires suitable premises, storage conditions and a registered pharmacist or competent person.
• Factory licence: for manufacturing units that fall within the Factories Act, 1948, issued by the state factory inspectorate after approval of the plan, with conditions on safety and welfare.
• Pollution control consents: consent to establish and consent to operate from the State Pollution Control Board for industries that cause water or air pollution, under the Water and Air Acts. The requirement depends on the industry category.
• Fire safety no-objection certificate: from the state fire services for certain buildings and activities.
• Legal metrology registration: for manufacturers, dealers and importers of weights, measures and pre-packaged commodities, under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009.
• BIS certification: for products that the government has notified for mandatory certification under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, such as certain electronics and household items.
• Contract labour and establishment licences: for establishments that engage contract labour or fall within the labour laws, including the labour codes to the extent they are in force.
• Boiler and similar registrations: for units operating boilers or pressure vessels.
• Excise and other state licences: for businesses in regulated areas such as liquor, subject to the state laws.
• Medical device, cosmetic and similar licences: from the central or state drug authorities, based on the category of the product.

The list changes with the industry and the state. The above is a general guide and not an exhaustive one, and not every business needs every item.

Why Planning the Licences Early Helps

• Sequence: a factory may need a building approval and fire NOC before the factory licence, and pollution consents before starting production. Applying in the wrong order causes delay.
• Premises: many licences depend on the premises meeting a standard, such as area, ventilation, storage and safety equipment, so it is cheaper to plan the premises before taking a lease.
• People: some licences need a qualified person, such as a pharmacist or a technical supervisor, whose details are part of the application.
• Costs and time: some licences take weeks and involve inspection, so the launch date should be set after checking the expected time.

What Our Industry-specific Licence Service Includes

• A licence mapping: from your industry, products, scale, location and premises, a list of the licences and registrations that apply, the authority for each, and a suggested order.
• A document and premises checklist for each licence, including the qualified persons, plans and certificates required.
• Preparation of applications on the portal or in the form of the relevant authority for the licences you choose to take up.
• Coordination with professionals such as architects, engineers, pharmacists and testing laboratories, where the application needs their input.
• Payment of fees through the authority's channel after confirming the amounts.
• Tracking of the application, response to queries and inspection readiness guidance.
• Delivery of the licence as issued, with a note on conditions, display and renewal.
• A renewal calendar so that licences do not lapse.

How the Process Works

We start with a discussion about what you plan to make or sell, in what quantity, from where and in what time frame. We then prepare the licence map and share it with you for review. For each licence you choose to proceed with, we give a checklist, collect documents, and prepare the application. Some licences require an inspection or a visit by the officer, and we give you a readiness checklist. We respond to queries until the authority grants or refuses the licence, and we share the licence with its conditions and validity. The time is highly variable, from a few days for simple registrations to several weeks for licences with inspection and clearances.

Important Considerations

• Licences are granted by the authorities after they are satisfied that the conditions are met. We cannot guarantee any licence or timeline.
• We prepare and file applications and guide you on conditions. We do not offer or arrange any improper means of obtaining a licence, and we cannot waive conditions that the law requires.
• Licences have conditions, and breach of them can lead to suspension or cancellation. Please read the conditions with us.
• Rules differ by state and change from time to time. We confirm the current requirements for your location.
• Replying to notices and show cause notices from licensing authorities, and legal proceedings, are separate services.