Starting a Chocolate Business: What Are the Steps and Do I Need Expert Help?

Hi, I would like to start a chocolate manufacturing company with 5 employees. I want to know the company registration procedures like "Registrar of Companies," "Shop and Establishment," Sales tax, etc. Is there any certificate to obtain from food-related government departments? Can I apply directly? Will it be easy, or should I need to get assistance from auditors? Someone who knows the entire procedures to set up a company, please guide me.

Thanks

If it is a Pvt. Ltd./Public Limited company, then you should register with the ROC. Else, if it's a partnership/proprietorship, then you shall register with the Registrar of Firms. Once the commercials begin, you should register with the Sales Tax Department. I believe you are using machinery for manufacturing chocolates, so you should register under the Factories Act and not shops & commercial establishments. If you can manage, then you shall do all the formalities directly; else, you shall approach consultants.

Thank you, sir, for your quick response. Of course, I am planning for a proprietorship company. Machineries are not planned so far. It's like homemade chocolates using plastic molds. I hope in that case, it won't come under the Factories Act, right?

So, I understand that I require only a "Register of Firms Certificate," "Sales Tax Dept. Registration," and Shop and Commercial Establishment Registration.

Employee strength will be 4 only (if the proprietor is not to be considered as staff, otherwise 5 in total). In that case, are ESI, PF, and PT registrations required?

Also, if you know any consultants' contact details, please share them, sir.

Thanks again.

Ram, if you run the company on your own, it's proprietary, so no registration is required. However, it's better to obtain an SSI Certificate from the District Industries Centre. This will enable you to easily apply for loans and benefits. Additionally, you need to acquire a Food Safety License from FSSAI, as per the new Act implemented since August last year. You can contact the local FSSAI Office, which is now separate from the Health Department and is under both the State and Central Governments.

Food Safety License Details

The Food Safety License can be obtained for 1, 2, or 3 years based on your preference. To secure this license, you must provide the Building Plan/Layout of the Processing Unit area, total HP Load, Production per day/year, etc. For further guidance, it is advisable to visit the FSSAI website.

Thank you, Mr. Ram, for your suggestion. I am planning to start the production in a small room (500 Sq. Ft) and there are no machineries at all. So, you mean to say that an SSI certificate and an FSSAI certificate are good enough, is it? Do you have any idea about the FSSAI verification? Like how they verify the quality of materials and processing, etc. Also, if we have 10 products, do we need to get approval for all ten items? If you have any information about this, please share. In the meantime, let me go through the FSSAI site.

Thanks, Ram.

Dear Ram, Since you have started manmade (500 sq.ft. area), there may be no need for SSI, I think. SSI registration is advisable for your future expansion as well.

In FSSAI Licence

You have to provide the following details in your application:

1. Name of the Products and their per day production capacity (proposed).

Based on your production capacity, the Department will determine your License fee. If your turnover is below Rs. 10 lakhs, you have to declare turnover below Rs. 10 lakhs to obtain the license. Subsequently, every year, you need to renew the license and submit an annual return or nil return.

If you wish to add new additional products, you have to inform the concerned officer and have the additions made to the License.

After obtaining the FSSAI license, periodic inspections need to be conducted by the Food Safety Officer to ensure your hygiene standards are maintained at all times.

The officer may also take samples from the end-users (i.e., in shops) and send them to Central Labs for analysis in case of any adulteration. If any adulteration is found, you may face criminal proceedings initiated by the Department over an extended period.

If you require further clarification, please visit the referred site.

Regards, Ramravind