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Selling homemade pickles online in India: licences, GST rate and label rules

To sell homemade pickles you need FSSAI Basic registration (₹100 a year, turnover up to ₹1.5 crore). Pickles are taxed at 5% GST (HSN 2001 for vinegar pickles, Schedule I, S.No. 125), down from 12%. They must meet FSSAI's pickle standard: at least 60% drained weight and no synthetic colours.

7 min read
Raw mango pickle with mustard seeds in an open ceramic pickle jar, lid beside it and a whole green mango, on a dark wooden table
Raw mango pickle with mustard seeds in an open ceramic pickle jar, lid beside it and a whole green mango, on a dark wooden table
In this post · 9 sections

Short answer: To sell homemade pickles you need FSSAI Basic registration (₹100 a year, turnover up to ₹1.5 crore). Pickles are taxed at 5% GST (HSN 2001 for vinegar pickles, Schedule I, S.No. 125), down from 12%. They must meet FSSAI's pickle standard: at least 60% drained weight and no synthetic colours.

Rules and rates checked on 24 October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.

Licences and registrations

WhatDo you need it?CostWhere
FSSAI Basic registrationYes, if annual turnover is up to ₹1.5 crore₹100 a yearfoscos.fssai.gov.in
FSSAI Central licence (e-commerce category)Check before launch₹7,500 a yearfoscos.fssai.gov.in
GST registrationYes for any inter-state sale; otherwise above ₹40 lakh turnoverNo fee stated in the sources usedgst.gov.in

FSSAI Basic registration. Making pickles for sale is food manufacturing. Since 1 April 2026, Basic registration covers turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, and new registrations do not need renewal as long as the yearly fee is paid.

FSSAI Central licence (e-commerce category). FSSAI's eligibility table puts 'E-commerce' under Central licensing with no turnover floor, and defines it broadly as buying and selling over the internet. It does not say whether a pickle maker selling only their own jars on their own site is covered. Confirm with your licensing authority.

GST registration. Pickle jars sent to buyers in other states are inter-state supplies. Section 24(i) requires registration for those even below the ₹40 lakh limit in Notification 10/2019-CT.

GST rate and HSN code

HSN 2001: Vegetables, fruit, nuts and other edible parts of plants, prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid. GST rate: 5% (Notification 9/2025-CT(R), Schedule I, S.No. 125). Before 22 September 2025 it was 12%.

Heading 2001 covers produce 'prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid' and sits in Schedule I, S.No. 125 at 5% total GST. An achar preserved in oil, salt or lime juice rather than vinegar can fall under other headings, depending on what is pickled and how. The notification puts 2005 (other vegetables preserved otherwise than by vinegar, not frozen) at S.No. 129, and 2008 (fruit and other edible parts of plants otherwise prepared or preserved) at S.No. 132.

All three headings are in Schedule I, so the rate is 5% whichever applies. The GST Council's list shows 2001, 2005 and 2008 all moving from 12% to 5% on 22 September 2025. Use the HSN that matches your product on invoices. A mango pickle in mustard oil and a vinegar-based onion pickle may carry different codes at the same rate.

Worked example: one sale at ₹349

Price the buyer pays (GST included)₹349
Taxable value₹332.38
Buyer in your state: CGST + SGST₹8.31 + ₹8.31
Buyer in another state: IGST₹16.62

What the label and product page must show

  • Use a name that shows what is inside, such as 'Mango pickle in oil'. FSSAI requires a pickle made without a medium to be labelled '(name of fruit or vegetable) Pickle'.
  • List every ingredient, including the oil type, salt, spices and any vinegar or acetic acid, and declare any permitted preservative by class and INS number.
  • Show the green vegetarian mark, or the brown mark if the pickle contains fish, meat or egg.
  • Print the date of manufacture or packing and the expiry or use-by date together. For shelf life above three months, month and year are enough.
  • Give nutrition information per 100 g. Pickles are not on the list of foods exempt from nutrition labelling.
  • Print the FSSAI logo and registration number, your full address, and a batch or lot number.
  • Declare net quantity, MRP inclusive of all taxes, unit sale price and consumer care details as required by Legal Metrology rules.
  • If the label's validity depends on it, add storage conditions, for example 'Use a dry spoon; refrigerate after opening'.

Packing, shipping and listing

FSSAI's pickle standard (2.3.43) allows salt, acid, sugar, oil, spices, onion, garlic, ginger, jaggery, lime juice, vinegar, dry fruits and nuts. The product must be free from mineral acid, alum and synthetic colours, and it must show no sign of fermentation. Oil pickles need at least 60% drained weight, with pieces practically submerged in oil. Brine pickles need at least 12% salt, and vinegar pickles at least 2% acidity as acetic acid.

Oil pickles leak. India Post's packing guidance says liquids and substances that liquefy easily must go in a double receptacle, with sawdust, bran or another absorbent between the jar and an outer metal or strong wooden box. A sealed jar inside a bag, cushioned in a stiff carton, follows the same idea for couriers.

On the product page, show net weight, MRP, unit price, ingredients, oil type and the veg mark. The packing date and expiry may stay on the jar only.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Adding colour for a brighter red. FSSAI's pickle standard bars synthetic colours, and a sample that fails can be treated as substandard.
  • Letting the oil drop below the pieces. Oil pickles must have pieces practically submerged and at least 60% drained weight.
  • Leaving out nutrition information. The exemption list covers single spices and spice mixes, not pickles.
  • Using an HSN code at random. 2001, 2005 and 2008 all carry 5% now, but the invoice should match the product.
  • Packing a glass jar in a single box. India Post's rules call for a double receptacle with absorbent filler for anything that can leak.

On your own Selzix store

You set the HSN code and GST rate on each product, and every order gets a GST invoice with the CGST and SGST or IGST split worked out from the buyer's state. Not sure you need GST at all? Read GST for online sellers in India.

Questions sellers ask

Can I sell homemade pickles without FSSAI registration?

No. Any food business needs at least FSSAI Basic registration. It costs ₹100 a year and since 1 April 2026 covers turnover up to ₹1.5 crore. The registration number and FSSAI logo must be printed on every jar.

What is the GST on pickles in India?

5% from 22 September 2025, down from 12%. Vinegar pickles are HSN 2001 (Schedule I, S.No. 125). Pickles preserved otherwise may fall under 2005 or 2008, which are also in Schedule I at 5%.

What is the shelf life to print on homemade pickle?

The law does not fix a number. You decide the expiry or use-by date from how your recipe keeps, and print it with the packing date. Product-specific storage advice, such as refrigerating after opening, should go on the label if the date depends on it.

Sources

General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change; check the source before you file or apply. Cover photo: Harshad Khandare on Unsplash.

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