How to launch a personal-care brand in India
Formula, manufacturer, licences, packaging and lab tests for skin, hair and body products.
Rules last checked 4 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with a regulatory consultant before you print packs.
Set up the business
- 1
Register the company (Pvt Ltd, LLP or proprietorship)
Licences, GST and the trademark go in its name.
- 2
Get Udyam (MSME) registration
Free. Halves the trademark fee and exempts micro and small brand owners from plastic EPR obligations.
- 3
Register for GST
Needed above ₹40 lakh turnover, and for any sale to another state (most online and modern-trade sales).
- 4
File the brand name as a trademark (TM-A)
₹4,500 per class for MSMEs and startups. Registration takes 12–24 months, so file before you print packs.
Define the product
- 5
Fix the brief: product, pack sizes, price per pack, first run and channels
Every supplier quotes against it; a vague brief gets vague quotes.
- 6
Check what’s already on the shelf
Price per 100 g, claims and pack formats of products like yours tell you where you fit.
Formulate
- 7
Choose a manufacturer
- 8
Shortlist manufacturers and ask for quotes
Compare price, MOQ, lead time and certificates on the same brief.
Licences
- 9
Find out which licences your product needs
Cosmetics, chemicals and other categories each have their own regulator and licence.
Pack and label
- 10
Choose packaging and artwork
Pack format, print and labels that meet your category’s rules.
- 11
Add the Legal Metrology declarations
MRP, net quantity, unit sale price, date and consumer-care contact on every pack.
Test
- 12
Pilot and launch
- 13