India is one of the few markets where vegan claims are regulated by statute. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022, a food may only be sold as vegan with FSSAI's approval and its vegan logo. A third-party mark such as V-Cert Vegan adds independent, internationally readable verification on top of FSSAI compliance — it never replaces it.
What the 2022 vegan foods regulations require
The Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022 — notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in June 2022 — define vegan foods as products that are not, and are not made from, ingredients of animal origin, including additives, flavorings, carriers, enzymes and processing aids (FSSAI, 2022). The definition reaches further than most label claims: the regulations also require that vegan products not involve animal testing for any purpose, unless a regulatory authority mandates it, and that producers apply precautions to avoid cross-contamination with non-vegan materials.
The operative rule is the logo. No person may sell, market or advertise a food as vegan unless it complies with the regulations, and compliant products are identified by FSSAI's own vegan logo — a green square-framed symbol with a stylized V, a sprouting leaf and the word VEGAN beneath it. In May 2026, FSSAI notified the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Amendment Regulations, 2026, which make displaying the logo on approved vegan food packages mandatory from 1 July 2027, closing the transition window opened in 2022 (FSSAI amendment notification, May 2026).
How FSSAI vegan logo endorsement works
Endorsement is an application process, not a self-declaration. Under FSSAI's guidelines for vegan-logo applications (first issued July 2022 and revised since), the food business operator submits Form A with supporting documents — applicant details, the tentative label design carrying the vegan logo, packaging material and a self-declaration that the product is free from animal-origin inputs — together with a fee of INR 25,000, paid through FSSAI's e-payment channel. Each product and each variant needs its own application; multiple variants are not bundled under one form (FSSAI vegan-logo guidelines, 2022).
- Scrutiny: FSSAI examines the application and documents; clarifications and label corrections are common at this stage.
- Approval: a successful application receives approval in Form B.
- Endorsement: the operator then applies to the licensing authority through the FoSCoS portal to have the vegan logo endorsed on the FSSAI license for that product.
- Marking: the approved pack carries the FSSAI vegan logo — mandatory on approved products from 1 July 2027 under the 2026 amendment.
Importing vegan foods into India
The import rule is one of the strictest in the world for this category: vegan foods may not be imported into India without a certificate issued by the recognized authorities of the exporting country (FSS Vegan Foods Regulations, 2022; USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report IN2022-0057). A 2025 draft amendment formalizes the certificate format as Form I and spells out what it must attest — compliance with the vegan definition, no animal testing, and contamination controls (FSSAI draft amendment, 2025). Foreign brands selling vegan products into India therefore carry two burdens: the exporting-country certificate at the border, and the FSSAI logo pathway on the shelf.
Where a third-party vegan mark earns its place
For Indian manufacturers selling only in India, FSSAI endorsement may be all the vegan substantiation the law asks of you. The calculation changes the moment your products cross a border. The FSSAI vegan logo is a domestic legal mark — buyers in the US, EU, UK and Gulf generally do not recognize it, and their procurement checklists ask instead for independent third-party certification they can verify themselves. India's plant-based export sector — snacks, ready meals, sauces, plant proteins, supplements and cosmetics — meets that question constantly.
FSSAI vegan logo vs an independent vegan mark
| FSSAI vegan logo | V-Cert Vegan mark | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Statutory endorsement under Indian food law | Voluntary third-party certification |
| Who grants it | FSSAI, via Form A application and FoSCoS endorsement | V-Cert, after a remote desk review of the full document set |
| Legal status in India | Mandatory for vegan claims on approved products (from 1 July 2027 on-pack) | None — it adds verification, it does not satisfy the FSSAI requirement |
| Readability outside India | Limited — a domestic regulatory mark | Designed for it: English-language certificate, unique certificate number, QR verification |
| Verification by a buyer | Via FSSAI systems | Any buyer can check the certificate by its number at v-cert.org/verify/ — no account, no email |
| Scope | Food products under FSSAI jurisdiction | Food, beverages, supplements and cosmetics, worldwide |
The practical pattern for exporters is both, in order: secure FSSAI compliance for the Indian market, then add an international mark for everything beyond it. Because a vegan review examines the same evidence FSSAI endorsement already forced you to assemble — ingredient specifications, supplier declarations, processing aids, cross-contamination controls, animal-testing policy — the marginal effort of third-party certification after FSSAI approval is low. V-Cert reviews Indian applicants directly, remotely, with no site visit and no routing through country partners. Typical desk review: 5–10 business days from complete documentation.
What a V-Cert vegan review covers
The review is documentary: full formulation with every additive, carrier and processing aid; supplier declarations for each animal-risk input; shared-line and cross-contact controls; and animal-testing policy for the product and its ingredients. Certificates name the exact scope and carry a unique number plus a QR code any buyer can check. Your quote is scoped to the products you list. Brands running vegan alongside vegetarian ranges — common in Indian catalogs — can cover both in one multi-mark review, with the vegetarian variant (lacto, ovo or lacto-ovo) named on its own certificate.
Frequently asked questions
Is the FSSAI vegan logo mandatory in India?
Yes. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022, food may only be sold or advertised as vegan if it complies with the regulations, and compliant products are identified by the FSSAI vegan logo. An amendment notified in May 2026 makes displaying the logo on approved vegan food packages mandatory from 1 July 2027.
Can V-Cert get me the FSSAI vegan logo?
No. Only FSSAI grants the vegan logo, through its own Form A application, scrutiny, Form B approval and FoSCoS endorsement process. V-Cert issues an independent international vegan mark on top of FSSAI compliance. The two document sets overlap heavily, so companies that have completed FSSAI endorsement usually find the V-Cert review straightforward.
How much does FSSAI vegan logo endorsement cost?
FSSAI's published application fee is INR 25,000 per application, paid through its e-payment channel, and each product or variant requires a separate application (FSSAI vegan-logo guidelines, 2022). That fee goes to FSSAI and is separate from any third-party certification you choose to add.
What do imported vegan products need to enter India?
Vegan foods may not be imported into India without a certificate issued by the recognized authorities of the exporting country, attesting compliance with India's vegan definition, including the no-animal-testing requirement. A 2025 draft amendment formalizes the certificate format as Form I. Imported products sold as vegan in India also fall under the FSSAI logo requirement.
Does India's vegan definition really exclude animal testing?
Yes. The 2022 regulations require that vegan foods not involve animal testing for any purpose, including safety evaluation, unless a regulatory authority requires it. That makes India's legal definition stricter than the informal ingredients-only reading of vegan common elsewhere, and it is one reason document trails matter in this category.
The practical pattern for exporters is both, in order: secure FSSAI compliance for the Indian market, then add an international mark for everything beyond it.