Licenses for Opening a Restaurant Business

Licenses are of different types:

1. Food safety license: For opening a restaurant business, this license is required. 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: You can acquire this from local civil authorities of that area. In case you are opening a restaurant business 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 are opening a restaurant business 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 are opening a restaurant business 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.

6. Pollution certificate: Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) provides this license for opening a restaurant business (http://www.dpcc.delhigovt.nic.in/indexdup.php). 

7. Lift clearance: For opening a restaurant business with 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). 

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 insurances, such as Public Liability, Product Liability, Fire Policy and Building & Asset.

11. 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.

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

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