Government Licenses India - Factory, Shop, Legal Metrology, PSARA, AYUSH, Telecom

Factory Licence under the Factories Act 1948 is issued by the State Factory Inspectorate (typically the Labour Department). Most States now have an online portal (e.g. eFOSA in Maharashtra, Shram Suvidha in Karnataka, eFactory in Tamil Nadu). The application is in Form 2 with: (i) Plan Approval (Form 1) before construction; (ii) Building stability certificate from a structural engineer; (iii) Layout plan; (iv) List of directors/partners; (v) Manufacturing process flow; (vi) Fee (typically ₹500-₹5,000 depending on installed power and worker count). Timeline is 30-60 days.

Post the Delhi Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act 2020, establishments with fewer than 10 employees are exempt from registration under Section 4. Establishments with 10+ employees must register on the Delhi Labour Department portal. Maharashtra replaced registration with a free online intimation under new Section 3A (Maharashtra S&E Amendment Act 2017). Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, UP, and most other states still require registration regardless of employee count.

Under Rule 27 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011, Form LM-1 registration for manufacturers/importers of pre-packaged commodities is ₹2,000 for the Central Licence (Director of Legal Metrology, Department of Consumer Affairs) and varies state-wise for State Licence (₹1,000-₹5,000). Registration is perpetual (one-time) post the 2011 amendment - earlier it was renewable every 5 years. Penalty for non-registration under Section 36 is ₹10,000-₹1 lakh.

The Private Security Agencies Regulation Act 2005 (PSARA) regulates private security agencies in India. A 'private security agency' under Section 2(e) means a person or entity engaged in the business of providing private security services - including guards, bodyguards, and security consultancy. Licence is issued by the State Controlling Authority (typically the Home Department) for 5 years. Fee is ₹5,000 (one district) / ₹25,000 (multiple districts) / ₹50,000 (state-wide). Minimum 51% Indian ownership, criminal-antecedents clearance, and EPF/ESI registration mandatory.

MTCTE (Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment) is the framework notified by the Department of Telecommunications under Rule 525(4) of the Indian Telegraph Rules 1951 - operationalised in phases since 2019. Telecom equipment (modems, routers, phones, base stations, IoT devices, etc.) must be tested at BIS-accredited Indian labs and certified by TEC before import or sale in India. The 2024-25 notifications have extended MTCTE to most product categories. Application is on the MTCTE portal (mtcte.tec.gov.in).