When it comes to the registration of shops and businesses, they have a list of applications they have to get through, depending on the type of business they are running. There are many food businesses out there, and they have to mandatorily register for a food licence through the FSSAI. Depending on the type of business that the company is running, their turnover, and their expansion plan, they have to accordingly register under the proper segments of the Act. Since the food licence has a validity of a year, they have to renew them annually, other than the few exceptions and businesses that can have theirs for five years. If there are any changes to the way businesses functions for the year, they have to make the change during the registration process. Furthermore, if the same business is planning on running multiple unconnected establishments connected with food, they have to get separate food licences. The food licence comes with a unique number, and they have to add that on all the food that they are selling.
Food licences only apply to food business operators (FBO) as per the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. Their definition of an FBO is any undertaking, whether private or public, for-profit or not, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution of food, imports and including food services, sale of food, or food ingredients. Furthermore, they have a multitude of roles and responsibilities toward achieving food safety in their business.
There are severe penalties for companies that do not get through the process and think about running their business in public. Getting the inspection done means that the establishment had to fill out the paperwork and get people to inspect it by visiting the premises. The inspectors make sure that the people running the company are following all the rules, and the information on the forms is accurate.
Any registered or licensed person with an FSSAI Registration has to adhere to the rules and regulations. Food safety officer generally inspects the food business operator’s facility and identifies how well they are complying with the regulations using a checklist. Based on the compliance level, the food safety officer marks it as:
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Compliance (C)
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Non-compliance (NC)
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Partial compliance (PC)
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Not applicable/Not observed (NA)
Businesses that do not fall in the food category also have to register, and there is a separate scheme that they follow called the Udyog Aadhaar. The scheme was put together in 2015 and by 2018 had more than 48 lac registrations. However, the Government is working on increasing those further and getting more companies to register so that it can benefit them and the economy.
Here are some of the benefits of registering companies under the scheme.
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Access to loans without guarantee and at subsidised rates
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Access to financial support for participating in foreign expos
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Access to exclusive government subsidies
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Ability to apply for micro-business loans and other related schemes
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Easier access to government provisions for businesses
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All these benefits are vital to an enterprise as they help you access capital and enjoy government aid.
Additionally, you can couple the benefits of Udyog Aadhaar with a lucrative business loan to significantly improve the business. Whether you’re looking to improve your infrastructure, upgrade machinery or expand your business, getting the assistance of the Government to get through the process seems like the best idea possible.
The Government went a step further and took the Udyog Aadhaar scheme online allowing more people to get through it at their convenient without them having to inconvenience themselves. Additionally, they also added information about other processes that companies had to get through so that they could benefit other companies trying to get through the system. All the applications are available online, and people could even download them and submit them at the office if that is what they preferred.
Furthermore, the Udyog Aadhar scheme started receiving a lot of the registrations during the pandemic since most people were at home and they were getting through the process since they had the time and wanted the Government benefits so they could compete with other companies within the same industry.
