Industry setup guides
Registrations, licences, tax and first-year compliance for 36 kinds of business in India.
Content Creator Business in India: Tax and Registrations
A content creator or influencer in India can start as a sole proprietor with PAN and a bank account. GST registration is needed once turnover, including brand d…
Industry guideHow to Become a RERA Real Estate Agent in India
A real estate agent in India must register with the state RERA authority under section 9 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 before facilit…
Industry guideHow to Sell on Amazon and Flipkart in India: Licences
To sell on Amazon, Flipkart or Meesho you need PAN, a bank account and usually GST registration. Since October 2023, small sellers of goods supplying only withi…
Industry guideHow to Start a Bakery or Cafe in India: Licences
A bakery or cafe needs an FSSAI licence or registration, GST registration above the threshold, a shop and establishment registration and municipal trade and hea…
Industry guideHow to Start a Cloud Kitchen in India: Licences
A cloud kitchen in India needs an FSSAI licence or registration, GST registration before listing on delivery apps, a shop and establishment registration and the…
Industry guideHow to Start a Coaching Centre in India: Licences
A coaching centre in India needs a business entity, GST registration above ₹20 lakh, a shop and establishment registration, municipal trade licence and fire saf…
Industry guideHow to Start a Construction Business in India: Licences
A construction contractor in India needs a business entity, GST registration, labour registrations under the OSH Code and Code on Social Security, and, for gove…
Industry guideHow to Start a Consulting Firm in India: Registrations
A consulting firm in India is commonly set up as an LLP or private limited company, with GST registration once turnover crosses ₹20 lakh and an LUT for overseas…
Industry guideHow to Start a Cosmetics Brand in India: CDSCO Licences
A cosmetics brand in India needs either a manufacturing licence or an import registration under the Cosmetics Rules 2020. Manufacturing is licensed by the State…
Industry guideHow to Start a D2C Brand in India: Licences
A D2C brand in India needs a legal entity, GST registration, a trademark for the brand name and Legal Metrology compliance for packaged products. Brands using p…
Industry guideHow to Start a Dairy Business in India: Licences
A dairy or milk products business in India needs FSSAI registration or a licence based on its scale, GST registration if it sells taxable products like butter, …
Industry guideHow to Start a Digital Marketing Agency in India
A digital marketing agency in India usually starts as an LLP or private limited company with GST registration, a shop and establishment registration and profess…
Industry guideHow to Start a Franchise Business in India: Legal Guide
India has no franchise-specific law, so franchising runs on contract, trademark and consumer law. A franchisor should register its trademarks and use a detailed…
Industry guideHow to Start a Gym or Fitness Studio in India: Licences
A gym or fitness studio in India needs a business entity, a shop and establishment registration, a municipal trade or health licence and a fire NOC where the bu…
Industry guideHow to Start a Jewellery Business in India: Licences
A jewellery business in India must register with BIS to sell hallmarked gold jewellery, which is mandatory in 373 notified districts. BIS registration is free a…
Industry guideHow to Start a Logistics or Transport Company in India
A logistics or transport company in India needs a business entity, GST registration and vehicle registrations and goods carriage permits from the regional trans…
Industry guideHow to Start a Mobile App Startup in India: Registrations
A mobile app startup in India usually forms a private limited company, registers for GST and seeks DPIIT recognition. No general app licence exists, but you mus…
Industry guideHow to Start a Packaged Food Business in India: Licences
A packaged food manufacturer in India needs an FSSAI licence matched to its turnover and capacity, Legal Metrology registration as a packer, GST registration, p…
Industry guideHow to Start a Pharmacy in India: Drug Licence Guide
To open a pharmacy in India you need a retail drug licence from the state drug controller, issued in Forms 20 and 21 for allopathic drugs after an application i…
Industry guideHow to Start a Private Clinic in India: Registrations
A private clinic in India must register as a clinical establishment under the central Act or the state's own law, obtain bio-medical waste authorisation from th…
Industry guideHow to Start a Restaurant in India: Licences
To open a restaurant in India you need an FSSAI licence or registration, GST registration once turnover crosses the threshold, a shop and establishment registra…
Industry guideHow to Start a SaaS Startup in India: Registrations
A SaaS startup in India is best set up as a private limited company. It needs PAN, TAN, GST registration, a shop and establishment registration for its office a…
Industry guideHow to Start a Salon or Spa in India: Licences
A salon or spa in India needs a shop and establishment registration, a municipal trade or health licence and GST registration once turnover crosses ₹20 lakh. Sp…
Industry guideHow to Start a Security Agency in India: PSARA Licence
A private security agency in India needs a licence under the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005 from the Controlling Authority of each state where …
Industry guideHow to Start a Small Manufacturing Unit in India
A small manufacturing unit in India needs Udyam and GST registration, consent to establish and consent to operate from the State Pollution Control Board unless …
Industry guideHow to Start a Travel Agency in India: Registrations
A travel agency in India needs a business entity, GST registration, shop and establishment registration and, for air ticketing, IATA accreditation or a tie-up w…
Industry guideHow to Start an Apparel Brand in India: Registrations
An apparel or fashion brand in India needs a business entity, GST registration, a trademark for the brand and Legal Metrology-compliant labels on packaged garme…
Industry guideHow to Start an Ayurvedic Products Business in India
Manufacturing ayurvedic, siddha or unani medicines in India needs a licence from the state AYUSH licensing authority, applied for in Form 24-D, or Form 24-E for…
Industry guideHow to Start an Edtech Platform in India: Registrations
An edtech platform in India is usually a private limited company with GST registration, a shop and establishment registration for its office, and trademark and …
Industry guideHow to Start an Event Management Company in India
An event management company in India needs a business entity, GST registration and a shop and establishment registration for its office. Each event may then nee…
Industry guideHow to Start an Import Export Business in India
An import-export trading company in India needs an Import Export Code from DGFT, updated every year between April and June, plus GST registration and a Letter o…
Industry guideHow to Start an IT Services Export Company in India
An IT services exporter in India usually forms a private limited company or LLP, registers for GST and files a Letter of Undertaking each year to bill foreign c…
Industry guideHow to Start an NGO in India: Section 8, Trust or Society
An NGO in India can be a Section 8 company, a trust or a society. After registration, it applies for income-tax registration under section 332 of the Income-tax…
Industry guideHow to Start an Online Store in India: Licences
An own-website store on Shopify, WooCommerce or similar needs a legal entity or proprietorship, a current account, GST registration if you ship goods to other s…
Industry guideHow to Start an Organic Food Brand in India: Licences
To sell food as organic in India, the product must be certified under NPOP, run by the commerce ministry through accredited certification bodies, or PGS-India, …
Industry guideHow to Start as a Freelancer in India: Registrations
A freelancer or independent consultant in India can start as a sole proprietor with just PAN and a bank account. GST registration is needed once turnover, inclu…