Business Licences in Delhi: Shops Registration, Trade Licence and Sector Approvals

A business in Delhi needs the same national registrations as anywhere else, plus several local and municipal licences. This guide covers the ones most businesses here meet, and how the administration's industries department helps with industrial approvals.

For Every Business With Premises

Shops and establishments registration

The Delhi Shops and Establishments Act applies to commercial establishments, including a company's office. Register online with the Delhi Labour Department. It governs working hours, holidays and employee records, and is often used as business proof when opening a bank account.

Trade licence

An office within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi or the New Delhi Municipal Council area may need a trade or health licence from the local body. It's tied to the premises and is usually renewed every year.

Professional tax

Delhi doesn't levy professional tax, so there's no enrolment or deduction to set up for staff based in Delhi.

For Manufacturing and Industrial Units

Industrial units need approvals such as building permissions, fire NOCs, consent to establish and consent to operate from the Pollution Control Committee for the union territory, factory licences under the Factories Act and power connections. In Delhi, the administration's industries department brings many of these together, with defined timelines for approvals. Units in government industrial parks or estates also have to follow the park's own allotment conditions.

Sector Licences

• Food: FSSAI registration or licence, with the Commissioner of Food Safety for Delhi and district food safety officers handling State licences and inspections.
• Pharma: drug licences from the local drugs control authority for pharmacies, wholesalers and manufacturers.
• Packaged goods: Legal Metrology registration for packers, importers and manufacturers of pre-packaged goods.
• Import and export: the Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT, which is valid for life with an annual update between April and June.
• Other regulated trades: licences for things such as liquor, explosives, cinemas and private security agencies, from the authority that regulates each.

Also Worth Knowing in Delhi

• Commercial use of residential premises: Delhi's master plan restricts commercial use in many residential areas. Using a home as the registered office for correspondence is common, but running a business from it may need permission depending on the area.

A Checklist for Businesses in Delhi

1. Register under the shops and establishments law.
2. Get a trade licence from your local body.
3. Confirm professional tax for staff in other states, since Delhi doesn't levy it.
4. For manufacturing, apply through the administration's industries department.
5. Get sector licences, such as FSSAI, a drug licence or Legal Metrology registration, as they apply.
6. Get an IEC before your first import or export.
7. Keep a renewal calendar for every licence.

Getting Help

Think Filing handles licences and registrations for businesses in Delhi, including shops and establishments, trade licences, FSSAI, IEC and industrial approvals.