Required Licenses for Opening a New Restaurant

Following are the Licenses  of different types to open a Restaurant:

1. Food safety license: This is obtained by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India). Check out the website of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and you can find the link to FSSAI (http://foodlicensing.fssai.gov.in/UserLogin/Login.aspx).

2. Health/Trade license: This can be acquired from local civil authorities of that area. In case you open a restaurant in Gurgaon, you need to visit their respective site (http://www.mcg.gov.in/MCGPortal/User/TradeLicense.aspx) and get registered to complete the process.

3. Eating house license: This is provided by Licensing Police Commissioner of that city. In case you open a restaurant in Delhi, you need to go to the site of Licensing Police Commissioner of Delhi (http://delhipolicelicensing.gov.in/eating/eating-house.htm) and follow the procedures.

4. Liquor license: In case your restaurant is to serve liquor, you must have this license. This can be obtained from local Excise Commissioner. In case you open a restaurant in Delhi, you need to go to the site of Delhi Government (http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_excise/Excise/Home/Licences/) and follow the procedures.

5.  Fire Department: You have to ensure the compliance of all the fire safety guidelines. This has to be done before submitting the application, for obtaining a NOC, to the Chief Fire Officer. You can also contact the Chief Fire Officer in case there is a delay in carrying out the inspection or issue of fire safety guidelines, or issue of NOC after the inspection has been carried out etc. The department does not levy any charges for this job for the time being.

6. Pollution certificate: Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is responsible for providing this license (http://www.dpcc.delhigovt.nic.in/indexdup.php). 

7. Lift clearance: In case yours is a multi-storey restaurant and you want to install a lift, you need to get clearance from an inspector from electricity department as well as the Labour Commissioner of the city.

8. Music license: For playing recorded music or video in your restaurant, you need to obtain this license Phonographic Performance Ltd. (PPL) (http://www.pplindia.org/licctg.aspx). They have been functioning as copyright providers for sound recordings of music and creations of its members.  

9. Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC): This permit is from the EMA for certain types of projects or activities. You can obtain it from the Ministry of Environment and Forests after submitting the questionnaire for environmental appraisal (http://moef.nic.in/divisions/iass/quest/q-hot.pdf).

10. Insurance: You can consult any insurance company for these insurances:

a. Public Liability

b. Product Liability

c. Fire Policy

d. Building & Asset

There are other insurance policies also which are not mandatory but useful.

11. Service Tax &VAT: 

12. Prevention of Food and Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954: The PFA Act covers food standards, general procedures for sampling, analysis of food, powers of authorized officers, nature of penalties and other parameters related to food. It protects India against impure, unsafe, and fraudulently labelled foods.

13. Shops and Establishment Act: You are required to register your restaurant under the Shops and Establishment Act.

14. Signage license: You will be required to obtain this license from local civil authorities.