Before a manufacturer can produce anything under your brand, a specific set of documents has to be in place. Getting these ready early is the single easiest way to shorten your launch timeline.
The core set — every category
- GST registration certificate
- Brand name proof — trademark registration certificate, or the applied-for receipt (TM application number). File this before you print packaging.
- Approved label artwork — with all statutory content verified
- Purchase order with agreed specification, quantity and packing
Nutraceuticals and food supplements
You need an FSSAI licence. Which one depends on your turnover and whether you are a marketer or also a distributor. Your FSSAI number has to appear on the pack, so this cannot wait until after printing.
Ayurvedic and herbal products
An AYUSH licence is required. Classical formulations and proprietary formulations are treated differently, and a proprietary product needs its formulation approved. This is usually the longest lead item, so start it first if you are planning an ayurvedic range.
Cosmetics
Cosmetic products need approval under the cosmetic rules. Labelling requirements differ from food supplements — shelf life declaration, ingredient listing order and warning statements all follow different rules. Worth confirming before artwork for a cosmetic range.
Pharmaceutical products and PCD
For pharmaceutical products, including a PCD franchise, you need a drug licence number along with GST. These two are the basic requirement to start.
What has to appear on the pack
- Manufacturer name and full address
- Manufacturing licence number
- Marketed by details, if you are the brand owner
- Batch number, manufacturing date, expiry or best before
- Net quantity
- MRP inclusive of all taxes
- Category specific declarations — veg or non-veg mark, allergen statements, FSSAI logo and number
This is why artwork gets verified before printing. A wrong licence number on ten thousand cartons is ten thousand cartons of scrap.
Sequence that saves time
- File the trademark
- Apply for the category licence (FSSAI or AYUSH or cosmetic)
- Finalise the formulation and get the bench sample approved
- Prepare artwork with the licence numbers now available
- Get artwork verified, then print
- Confirm the order and start the batch
Brands that run steps 3 and 4 in parallel launch roughly a month earlier than those that do them one after the other.
We share a complete document checklist before the first order. To get yours, call +91 75087 19141 or use the contact form.