Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Anganwadis across India will no longer have to pay registration or licence fees under the Food Safety and Standards Act, as per a new directive issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The move is aimed at supporting Anganwadi centres that deliver vital nutrition to pregnant women and children under government welfare schemes.
The exemption applies to both new food registrations and licence renewals under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
Although registration and licensing will still be mandatory, no fee will be charged. Earlier, Anganwadis were required to pay an annual or lump sum fee of Rs 100 per year for up to five years.
The decision comes in response to long-standing demands to waive the fee, as Anganwadis serve economically weaker sections and operate as part of government-run nutrition programmes.
Recognising their non-commercial, service-oriented nature, FSSAI has now formally waived the charge while maintaining the requirement for registration.
This exemption follows a similar step taken by FSSAI on September 28, 2024, when it waived the licence and registration fee for small street vendors selling food.
That initiative was intended to promote hygienic practices among roadside vendors. Extending the benefit to Anganwadis reflects the government’s broader strategy to ease compliance burdens on grassroots nutrition providers.
Indore’s chief food safety officer, Manish Swami, confirmed that the FSSAI portal has also been updated.
The fee column has been removed, enabling Anganwadi workers to complete registration formalities without making any payment. They must still apply for registration or renewal on time, but the process will now be free of charge.
