It’s a known fact that the human beings are entirely dependent on food products and related goods, as they provide energy in daily life, ensure proper growth & development as well as create immunity in the body against life-risking diseases. But, the exact opposite can happen to a human body, if the food products are adulterated, low in nutrition or are made of low-quality materials. Thus, to put curb on such illegal and immoral practices, the Government of Mumbai, Maharashtra has made it compulsory for the food products and goods manufacturers to obtain a certification, which assures quality and strict adherence to safety standards, better known as “AGMARK” Certification.

The AGMARK Registration in Mumbai, Maharashtra is available for the following including-

  • Agricultural & Horticulture food items;
  • Food products or beverages which are either entirely produced or partly produced and partly manufactured in a factory or similar premises;

The provisions related to AGMARK certification are governed under the provisions of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1986 and cover as much as 222 agricultural items for certification of quality & safety which includes items such as food grains, pulses, spices, oil, honey etc. Further, the government of Mumbai, Maharashtra has provides for the standardization, certification and monitoring purposes through the Directorate of Marketing & inspection (DMI), which has been set-up on each state level.

Except for the business entities or industries, who are compulsorily required to obtain AGMARK certification under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, the AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra is voluntary in nature and implies quality & safe products for consumption.

The Agmark Certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra is applicable under following three categories-

  • Agmark Certification for Quality Grading & Certification
  • Agmark Certification for Lab testing
  • Agmark Certification for Printing Press

Pre-requisites for AGMARK Registration in Mumbai, Maharashtra

It shall be necessary for the applicant business entity or the individual proprietor to fulfil the following conditions before making an application for AGMARK Registration in Mumbai, Maharashtra

  • The business entity must possess required infrastructure which includes necessary equipment & machinery as prescribed for each category of Agmark registration in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
  • For manufacturing and grading purposes, such applicant entity must have either their own laboratory in Mumbai, Maharashtra or access to an AGMARK approved testing laboratory for testing of manufactured commodities in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
  • Where the applicant entity has access to an AGMARK approved laboratory, they will be required to furnish their consent letter from such approved lab to test products manufactured by the applicant entity in the Form A-3 long with the application.

Process of AGMARK Certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Process of AGMARK Certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Maharashtra is the 3rd biggest state in terms of geographical area, i.e. 9.4% of the total area of the country. The state lies on the West coast and is well connected with in the country by a dense network of roadways stretching around 3,09,000 km and railway linkage of around 6,210 km within the state. It marks a strong presence on the air map with 4 international and 7 domestic airports. The shoreline of the state is nearly 720 km, with 55 ports which facilitate transportation of 22% of the total cargo transport of the country. Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) is located here and is linked with 46 Inland Container Depots (ICD), 34 Container Freight Stations (CFS). The state supports it’s industries with the installed power generating capacity of 43,000 MW.

The state has the highest GDP, 2nd highest FDI inflow during 2020-21 at 28% in the country and Ranks No. 1 in Export Preparedness Index in 2020. FDI for the period Oct -2019 – Sept 2020 aggregated over $10.8 Bn and for the period Oct -2019 to March 2021 the state’s contribution for the FDI was nearly $23.43 Bn. Mumbai, the state capital is popularly known as the Financial Capital of India and is home to most headquarters of all major corporate and financial institutions.

Information Technology is one of the key sectors of the state, accounting to more than 20% of the country’s software exports. Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik and Kohlapur are the major export cities from the region. The government has developed 37 IT parks and also approved 472 others and the State’s Industrial Policy offers policies regarding various infrastructural investments like exemption on filing patents and Knowledge Parks etc.

Maharashtra holds 30.5% share in industrial output of ESIDM sector. The state also has 3 Electronic Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) in Pune, Aurangabad and Navi Mumbai, with facilities for testing and R&D. Well established ESDM hubs are located in Khed and Talegaon in Pune. They enjoy locational benefits of being directly connected to JNPT and Mumbai port, the largest ports of the country.

With a robust presence, Maharashtra shares 35% of the total output of Automobiles by value with the assistance of committed manufacturers and a network of component suppliers and vendors. Major centres are located in Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik and Nagpur.

The state is the major producer of Arhar and Jowar, contributing 29.11% and 46.09% respectively to the aggregate yield of the country. Ranks #2 in the production of bananas, cashew, pulses, cotton and sugarcane. This region tops the chart in the production of Grapes and provides stimulation to the grape processing and wine industry with the help of dedicated wine policy and wine parks. 8 Food Parks and 3 Floriculture Parks with superior facilities are established here. Thus, Food Processing industry in the state is worth $158 Mn by way of 173 projects initiated during the years 1992-93.

An ace producer of cotton, bamboo and silk fibers, textile sector generates 2nd highest employment opportunities in the zone after agriculture. 14 private and 10 government textile parks are set up with plug and play facility. The government has launched Textile Policy to ensure various incentives to the sector by way of tax exemption, interest subsidy and up gradation subsidy, with a mission to generate 1 mn new job prospects by year 2023. Bombay High is the largest producer of offshore oil in India. Bollywood, world’s largest film industry in term of viewership is based out of Mumbai.

With a fairly good sex ratio in the state, 929 females per 1000 males. 66% of the total population of the region falls between the age group of 15-59 years and is the 2th most populous state of the country, with 112.4 million citizens residing i.e. nearly 9% of the country’s population, which is equivalent to the population of Mexico on their 1/6th of their land area. This state has 1 Central University, 23 State Universities, 21 Deemed Universities, 14 Private Universities, 885 Engineering Colleges, 227 Business Management Institutes, 438 Pharmacy Colleges and 474 Industrial Training Institutes.

The aggregate value of investment opportunities in Maharashtra is nearly $815.58 bn, comprising of a total of 1195 projects out of which 45 are private and 1150 are Government owned projects, with 242 promoters involved, spread across 39 districts of the state, which makes Maharashtra a perfect breeding ground for developmental projects in the commercial segment. Prestigious Government schemes are also running here like Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin which values about $59.38 bn, Pradhan Mantri gram Sadak Yojana Project costs a whooping amount of $50.24 bn, Wind Power Project worth $56.47 bn and Solar Power Project with aggregate value of $63.57 bn.

 

The process of AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra is available on both online as well as offline mode. Provided below is the step-by-step online process of obtaining AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra

  • Go to the online portal of Directorate of Marketing & Inspection by accessing website https://dmi.gov.in or visit the nearest office of the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) and create a user id and password for login purposes by filling details of the business entity or individual proprietor and other details such as mobile number, email id, unique Aadhaar number etc.
  • Once you access the website using your log in id and password, you will be required to create a user profile for the business entity.
  • Next, click ‘Agmark online’ and select the type of certification from the available options-
    1. Certificate of Authorisation (for manufacturing & packing purposes)
    2. Certificate of Agmark Printing Permission
    3. Certificate of Approval for laboratory.
  • Now, create a secondary user id and password and log on to the Agmark online portal;
  • In the next step, you will be required to fill requisite form for each type of form, for instance if you want to apply for Certificate of Authorisation, fill form A for ‘Certificate of Authorisation ‘ for manufacturing and packing of commodities and click “proceed”.
  • Next, once you will be required to fill details in the form along with the necessary documents in pdf format and verify all the details once more.
  • Finally, you will move to the payment page where the amount of fees will depend upon the type of Agmark certificate chosen and type of commodity for which registration is sought.
  • Click “Submit” for submission of your registration form after which the form shall be thoroughly verified by the relevant DMI authorities.
  • The relevant DMI authority in the state of business operations may undertake inspection of the premises and on satisfied on the fulfilment of the certification requirements by the applicant, may grant AGMARK Certificate.

Offline Process of AGMARK Certificate in Mumbai, Maharashtra

  • If the applicant wishes to apply for AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra through offline mode, he/she may directly visit the local Directorate of Marketing & Inspection office (DMI) and fill the requisite form according to the chosen category along with all the necessary documents and requisite fees depending upon the category of certification and number of different commodities (for packing & manufacturing) purposes.
  • Where the applicant intends to obtain approval for “Certification of Approval of Laboratory”, he/she shall also be required to make fee payment for the training of chemists for AGMARK testing purposes.
  • As per the AGMARK guidelines in Mumbai, Maharashtra, where the applicant has applied for Agmark “Certificate of Authorisation”, the manufactured commodities shall be required to be tested for quality & grading in an AGMARK approved laborotary.
  • After the submission of the offline application, if the application is found genuine and complete in all respects, the authority will grant “Certificate of Authorisation” after verification , which may take anywhere between 30-40 days.
  • Further, the DMI authorities may conduct periodic quality checks through inspections by comparing the factory samples with the commodity samples available in the market in the Regional AGMARK laboratory. If such commodity is found in non-conformity to the applicable standards, the DMI authority may take appropriate action against the concerned packer.

Documents Required For Obtaining Agmark Certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Documents Required For Obtaining Agmark Certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Provided below is the list of documents required for obtaining AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra-

  • Document evidencing the constitution of the business entity i.e. registration/incorporation certificate
  • Memorandum & Articles of Association, i.e. where the applicant entity is a limited company
  • Copy of Partnership Deed/LLP Deed , in case of a Partnership Firm or LLP
  • Business entity details including name, address, name of the authorized person and contact details of such person
  • Address of the business premises, where manufacturing & grading is proposed to be carried out.
  • Name and total number of commodities intended to be manufactured & graded
  • No. of years since the applicant entity has been in the business
  • Test reports of the commodities tested in an independent testing laboratory approved and recognized by AGMARK
  • Details regarding the machinery, equipment and total turnover of the business entity
  • One sample sachet of each product intended to be graded and manufactured

Benefits of AGMARK Registration in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Certain benefits of Agmark registration in Mumbai, Maharashtra are mentioned below-

  • Signifies Safety & Quality- Commodities subjected to AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra are so manufactured in accordance of standardized procedures and rigorously tested and inspected from time to time, for assuring quality and safety to the ultimate consumers. Thus, the certification assures best quality and products safe for consumption.
  • Better marketing and Higher profitability- Certain commodities have been subjected to AGMARK registration in Mumbai, Maharashtra compulsorily, which adds up to the value of the business entity and that of the manufactured commodity for marketing and promotional activities.
  • Global Recognition- Since, the AGMARK standards are in conformity with the international standards, the AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra helps the product to get recognition as well as popularity globally.
  • Protection Against Baseless Claims- Since the AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra is an indicator of quality products, it helps the business entity against any baseless allegations or claims made in regard to the quality of the products.
  • Availability of Government Subsidies- Commodities holding AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra can benefit from various subsidies announced by the Government of Mumbai, Maharashtra.

AGMARK validity & Renewal in Mumbai, Maharashtra

On successful grant/permission of AGMARK certification in Mumbai, Maharashtra, the certificate will be valid for such period as provided below-

  • Certificate of Authorisation is valid for at least for five financial years and shall be available for renewal at least three months prior to expiry of certification.
  • Certificate to printing Press- is valid for a total period of two calendar years and shall be available for renewal at least three months prior to expiry of certification.
  • Certificate to approved private commercial laborotary- is valid for a total period of two years and shall be available for renewal at least three months prior to expiry of certification.

Conclusion

Therefore, AGMARK registration in Mumbai, Maharashtra is the right choice for assuring safe and quality products to the consumers due to its standardized preparation and testing procedures. This not only helps the business entities in Mumbai, Maharashtra to assure authenticity of their products but also helps them to expand their businesses globally and protects them against baseless allegations and claims.