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Selling consumer products in India

In India, product rules are mostly central. FSSAI regulates food, drinks, supplements and infant food; CDSCO registers imported cosmetics; BIS Quality Control Orders and registration cover toys, electronics, kitchenware, footwear and more; and the Legal Metrology rules set what every pack declares. States license alcohol under their excise laws.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Food and drink
FSSAI, under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
Cosmetics
CDSCO, under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020
Standards
Bureau of Indian Standards: QCOs and the Standard Mark
Pack declarations
Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011
Alcohol trade
State excise laws
Recalls
Central Consumer Protection Authority, and FSSAI for food

By product

What each kind of product has to meet in India.

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Which regulator covers the product: FSSAI, CDSCO, BIS or none of these? Read more
  2. 2Does it need a licence, registration or the BIS mark before sale? Read more
  3. 3What must the pack declare under the Legal Metrology rules? Read more
  4. 4How does it come into India, and who clears it? Read more
  5. 5Who answers for it if something goes wrong? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

How product rules work in India

Which regulator and which instrument covers which product.

  • Food, including drinking water, alcoholic drink and infant food, falls under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; animal feed and cosmetics are excluded from it.
  • Health supplements and nutraceuticals are food under section 22 of that Act.
  • Food businesses hold an FSSAI licence, or a registration for petty businesses; importers of food hold a central licence.
  • Cosmetics fall under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Cosmetics Rules, 2020: imports are registered with CDSCO, and manufacture is licensed by the states.
  • Quality Control Orders under the BIS Act, 2016 make the BIS Standard Mark compulsory for listed products, such as toys, footwear, kitchenware and household appliances; many electronics are registered under BIS's Compulsory Registration Scheme.
  • Infant milk substitutes, infant foods and feeding bottles also fall under the IMS Act, 1992, which bars their promotion.

How we help: Compliant Always works out which of these apply to your product and keeps the documents behind each one, dated, with the product. Ask about this

Legal metrology declarations

What a pre-packed product declares, whatever it is.

  • Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules lists the declarations: manufacturer, packer or importer; country of origin for imports; generic name; net quantity; month and year of manufacture; retail sale price inclusive of taxes; unit sale price; and consumer care details.
  • Packers and importers register with the Director or Controller of Legal Metrology (rule 27).
  • E-commerce entities display the declarations on the listing, except the date of manufacture, and from 1 July 2027 provide a country-of-origin filter for imported goods.
  • From 21 September 2026, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, cosmetics and toiletries carry a green dot for vegetarian origin or a red or brown dot for non-vegetarian origin.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the pack against the rule 6 declarations alongside the product's own label rules. Ask about this

Import

How goods are cleared at the border.

  • FSSAI clears imported food at the port after document checks, inspection and sampling, before issuing a no objection certificate.
  • Cosmetics are registered with CDSCO before import, and a declaration goes to the Commissioner of Customs.
  • Products under a BIS order need a licence held by the foreign manufacturer under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme, with an Authorised Indian Representative.
  • Live-stock products, including pet food of animal origin, may be regulated or prohibited under the Live-stock Importation Act, 1898, and pass through animal quarantine.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps licences, registrations and certificates with each lot, so the papers for clearance are in one place. Ask about this

Liability, recall and packaging

Who answers for a product after sale.

  • Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, a manufacturer is liable for harm from defects and inadequate warnings, and the Central Consumer Protection Authority may order recall of unsafe goods.
  • Food businesses withdraw unsafe food under section 28 of the FSS Act and keep a recall plan under the Food Recall Procedure Regulations, 2017.
  • A cosmetics manufacturer or authorised agent withdraws an unsafe product and informs the licensing authority.
  • Producers, importers and brand owners using plastic packaging register for extended producer responsibility on the CPCB portal.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps specifications, test reports and registrations with each product and lot, so the record is there if a product is questioned. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Brand ownerLabels, claims, pack declarations and EPR registration.Labels and packs read against the rules that apply, with the gaps listed.
ManufacturerThe FSSAI licence, state cosmetics licence or BIS licence for what it makes.Licences and test reports kept with each product.
ImporterImport licences and registrations, its name and the origin on the pack, and port clearance.Supplier documents read and dated before shipment.
Online marketplaceShowing the declarations on listings, and EPR as a brand owner where it applies.Listings compared with the product record.

Central and state rules

Most product rules in India are central: FSSAI for food, CDSCO for imported cosmetics, BIS for standards and the Department of Consumer Affairs for packaged-goods declarations.

States license cosmetics manufacture, enforce food and legal metrology rules through their own officers, and run excise on alcohol.

Questions businesses ask

Who regulates consumer products in India?
It depends on the product: FSSAI for food and drink, CDSCO for cosmetics, BIS for products under Quality Control Orders or registration, the Department of Consumer Affairs for pack declarations, and the states for alcohol excise.
What is the ISI mark?
The BIS Standard Mark, used under a licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards. A Quality Control Order makes it compulsory for listed products, with the licence number shown as CM/L followed by the number.
Do imported goods need to show the country of origin in India?
Yes. The Packaged Commodities Rules require the country of origin or manufacture on imported packages, and from 1 July 2027 e-commerce platforms provide a country-of-origin filter.
What language must labels be in?
Food labels are in English or Hindi in Devanagari script under FSSAI's rules. Some warnings, such as on hair dyes, are required in English and local languages.
Do I need an Indian representative to sell in India?
For products under a BIS order, a foreign manufacturer nominates an Authorised Indian Representative. Imported cosmetics are registered by the manufacturer, its authorised agent or importer, or its Indian subsidiary.
Is MRP required on products in India?
Yes. Pre-packed goods declare a maximum retail price inclusive of taxes in Indian currency, with a unit sale price, under the Packaged Commodities Rules. For alcohol, state excise law applies.
Who can order a product recall in India?
The Central Consumer Protection Authority, under section 20 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. For food, operators withdraw unsafe food under section 28 of the FSS Act.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in India?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including India's central regulators and the state rules that sit beside them. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in India and what your paperwork needs to show.

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