Service Agreement for FSSAI License / Registration Facilitation

The Client and Application particulars — including Client / FBO Name, Business Trade Name, Registered Business Address, Contact Number, Email ID, PAN, Aadhaar (of proprietor / signatory), GST (if applicable), Kind of Business (KoB), Application Type (Basic / State / Central / Tatkal), and Agreement Date — are as captured by the Client at the time of submitting the order through the DS Group portal, and form an integral part of this Agreement.

Recitals

A. The Client wishes to engage the Agency to facilitate the preparation, documentation, and online submission of an application for FSSAI Registration / License (including, where applicable, under the Tatkal / Instant Issuance Scheme) through the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) portal of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ("FSSAI").

B. The Agency has agreed to provide such facilitation services strictly on the basis of the information, documents, and declarations furnished by the Client, on the terms and conditions set out below.

C. The Parties confirm that the Agency is not FSSAI, FoSCoS, or any government authority, and merely provides paid consultancy / facilitation services. The actual grant, rejection, or modification of any license/registration remains the sole prerogative of the competent Licensing Authority under FSSAI.

The Agency shall provide the following services to the Client:

• Assessment of the Client's food business to identify the applicable category of FSSAI Registration / License (Basic, State, Central, or Tatkal / Instant, as applicable).
• Assistance in preparation and filling of the online application form on the FoSCoS portal.
• Guidance on the list of documents required, and assistance in uploading such documents as provided by the Client.
• Assistance in completing the OTP verification, e-sign / Aadhaar authentication, and online fee payment process, strictly on instructions and with the cooperation of the Client.
• Tracking the status of the submitted application and communicating updates to the Client.

The scope of services is limited strictly to facilitation of the FSSAI application referred to in Section 1 above, and does not extend to any other regulatory approval, license, or registration unless expressly agreed in writing as an additional, separately chargeable service.

The Client hereby declares, warrants, and confirms the following, and acknowledges that the Agency is entering into this Agreement and undertaking the Scope of Services in reliance on these declarations:

The Client expressly acknowledges and agrees that:

• The Agency only facilitates the preparation and submission of the application.
• The grant, rejection, suspension, or modification of any FSSAI registration / license, and the time taken for the same, lies entirely within the sole discretion of FSSAI / FoSCoS and the concerned Licensing Authority.
• The Agency does not guarantee approval of the application, nor any specific processing timeline, including under the Tatkal / Instant Issuance Scheme, where eligibility may be denied or delayed on technical or jurisdictional grounds (including but not limited to incorrect Kind of Business selection, category exclusions, or non-availability of the Tatkal scheme in the Client's State / Union Territory) that are beyond the Agency's control.
• Any representation by the Agency regarding indicative timelines is on a best-effort basis only and does not constitute a binding commitment.

The Client acknowledges and agrees that, upon grant of the FSSAI registration / license, all ongoing statutory compliance obligations shall be the sole responsibility of the Client, including but not limited to:

• Maintenance of hygiene, sanitation, and food safety standards at all times.
• Timely payment of annual fees and renewal of the registration / license before expiry, where applicable.
• Filing of annual returns (including Form D1, where applicable) and any other statutory filings.
• Intimation of changes in business particulars, ownership, or Form IX nominee details, and filing of modification applications where required.
• Any other obligation prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and rules / regulations made thereunder.

The Agency shall not be responsible for any lapse, suspension, deemed suspension, or cancellation of the registration / license arising from the Client's failure to meet the above obligations, unless the Client has separately engaged the Agency under a written compliance retainer agreement for such ongoing services.

The Client shall pay the Agency the consultancy / service fee displayed on the order summary at the time of placing the order, which is separate and distinct from the statutory government fee payable to FSSAI / FoSCoS. Government fees, where collected by the Agency for onward remittance, shall be paid by the Client in addition to the consultancy fee and shall be remitted to FSSAI / FoSCoS on the Client's behalf. Once an application has been duly submitted to FoSCoS, the consultancy fee paid to the Agency shall be non-refundable, save where expressly agreed otherwise in writing. In the event the application is rejected, returned, or cancelled by FSSAI / FoSCoS solely due to incorrect, false, incomplete, or misleading information or documents furnished by the Client, the Client shall not be entitled to any refund of the consultancy fee, and shall additionally bear any government fee forfeited or any re-filing fee required for a fresh application. Payment terms (advance / installments, mode of payment, and applicable taxes such as GST on consultancy fees) shall be as set out in the invoice / payment schedule issued by the Agency, forming part of this Agreement.

The Client shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Agency, its proprietors, partners, employees, and representatives from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, damages, penalties, fines, prosecution, or other liability arising out of or in connection with:

• Any false, incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information, declaration, or document furnished by the Client;
• Any forged, fraudulent, or unauthorized document submitted by the Client;
• The Client commencing, continuing, or expanding food business operations without a valid, final FSSAI registration / license, or in violation of the conditions of any registration / license granted;
• The Client's failure to comply with any post-issuance obligation described in Section 5; and
• Any third-party claim arising from the Client's food business operations, including claims relating to food safety, quality, or hygiene standards.

This indemnity shall survive the termination or completion of this Agreement.

The Client consents to the Agency collecting, storing, and processing personal and business documents / information — including PAN, Aadhaar, GST details, photographs, and address proof — solely for the purpose of preparing and submitting the FSSAI application described in this Agreement. The Agency shall take reasonable care to keep such documents and information confidential, and shall not use, share, or disclose the same for any purpose other than the Scope of Services, except where required by law or by FSSAI / FoSCoS for processing the application. The Client shall promptly notify the Agency in writing if it wishes to withdraw consent for further processing of its data, provided that such withdrawal shall not affect processing already lawfully carried out, or any application already submitted, prior to such withdrawal.

The Client acknowledges that the Agency's Scope of Services under this Agreement is strictly limited to the FSSAI application referred to in Section 1. The Agency shall bear no responsibility or liability whatsoever for any other registration, license, permission, or No-Objection Certificate required from any other Central, State, or local authority (including fire safety, pollution control, municipal corporation / panchayat, shop and establishment, trade license, or excise authorities), unless such services are expressly and separately contracted in writing between the Parties.

This Agreement shall commence on the date of acceptance and remain in force until completion of the Scope of Services described in Section 1, or until terminated earlier in accordance with this Section. Either Party may terminate this Agreement by giving 7 (seven) days' written notice to the other Party. Termination shall not affect any fee already due for work performed, or any application already submitted, up to the date of termination. The Agency may suspend or terminate services with immediate effect if the Client fails to provide requested documents / information, fails to make payment as agreed, or is found to have furnished false or misleading information or documents.

By ticking the "I accept the Terms & Conditions and Service Agreement" checkbox at the time of payment, the Client confirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the Client Declarations & Warranties in Section 3.

(Auto-accepted on order submission and retained by the Agency along with the application file)

I/We, the Client, do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as follows:

• That all information, particulars, and documents furnished by me / us to DS Group for the purpose of the FSSAI application are true, correct, complete, and genuine to the best of my / our knowledge and belief.
• That I / we am / are duly authorized to submit this application on behalf of the business named in this Agreement, and to provide the above documents and information.
• That I / we have not concealed any material fact that may affect the assessment of eligibility for the registration / license category applied for.
• That I / we shall be solely responsible for the truthfulness and authenticity of all documents and information provided, and shall indemnify DS Group against any loss, penalty, or liability arising from any false declaration made herein.
• That I / we shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the rules and regulations made thereunder, both at the time of application and on an ongoing basis after grant of registration / license.

(Where applicable, the Client shall additionally issue an authorization letter on its business letterhead in the format provided by DS Group, authorizing DS Group and / or its nominated representative to act on its behalf solely for the purpose of preparing, filing, and following up on the FSSAI Registration / License application (including Tatkal / Instant Issuance, where applicable) through the FoSCoS portal. This authorization is limited strictly to the application referred to above and does not constitute a general power of attorney.)