§1Ways to get started

  • Packaged drinking water plant for a town or district (needs BIS + FSSAI)
  • Fruit juice, sharbat, jaljeera or nimbu-pani bottling for local retail
  • Contract bottling for an established brand
  • Distribution / super-stockist of soft drinks in a district
  • Craft beer or wine only in states that license micro-breweries and wineries

See the Business Encyclopedia

§2Hubs and clusters

    §3Licences and registration

    1. FSSAI licence (state or central licence by turnover / capacity)
    2. BIS licence for packaged drinking water / natural mineral water
    3. State excise licence for distillery, brewery, winery or bottling plant (alcohol only); brand and label registration with the state
    4. Groundwater abstraction NOC from CGWA / state authority where groundwater is used
    5. Legal Metrology packer registration
    6. Udyam Registration (MSME) - free, online, PAN + Aadhaar based
    7. GST registration (mandatory above turnover threshold or for inter-state supply)
    8. Shops & Establishments registration or Factory Licence (Factories Act) depending on set-up
    9. State Pollution Control Board Consent to Establish / Operate per CPCB 2025 Red/Orange/Green/White/Blue category (White exempt)
    10. IEC - Importer Exporter Code from DGFT (only if importing or exporting)

    §4Regulators

    • FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) - all food and beverage products
    • BIS - packaged drinking water and mineral water need BIS certification (mandatory under FSSAI rules)
    • State Excise Department - every licence for making, bottling, storing and selling alcoholic drinks
    • Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules - label and net quantity
    • State Pollution Control Board (distilleries are Red category)

    §5Government help

    • PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), Ministry of Food Processing Industries - for micro units (check whether the product is covered in the district's ODOP list)
    • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), MoFPI - food processing infrastructure
    • State excise / state industrial policy incentives for wineries and fruit-based drinks (state-specific)
    • Cross-sector schemes: Udyam-linked MSME benefits, PMEGP, CGTMSE credit guarantee, Stand-Up India, Startup India (DPIIT recognition), RoDTEP / duty drawback and Export Promotion Mission for exporters

    All schemes

    §6For exports

    • APEDA (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are APEDA scheduled products)
    • DGFT

    §7Pros and cons

    Merits

    • Packaged water and soft drinks are daily-use products with local demand in every district
    • Small plants can start with job-work / contract bottling before building a brand

    Demerits

    • Alcohol is controlled state by state: separate excise licence, brand registration and price approval in each state
    • Packaged water needs both BIS and FSSAI licences and regular testing
    • Groundwater use needs permission and is restricted in over-exploited blocks
    • Big national brands control shelf space and cold-chain distribution

    Sources