Basmati rice

Semi-milled or wholly milled Basmati rice

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 1006 30 12 (Basmati rice) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Import is permitted only through a State Trading Enterprise as notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under Notification 44/2025-26 dated 15-10-2025, and consignments must be accompanied by a GM-free certificate from the competent authority of the exporting country.

What this is

HSN code

1006 30 12

Chapter

10 · Cereals

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Food grade certificate from FSSAI

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Ensure the import is channelled exclusively through a State Trading Enterprise. Direct commercial imports outside the STE route are not permitted under the current ITC (HS) policy condition, and the bill of entry must reflect the STE as the authorised importer.
DGFT Notification 44/2025-26 dated 15-10-2025
2
Obtain a certificate from the competent government authority of the exporting country confirming the rice consignment is free from genetically modified organisms. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), and Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed; out-of-charge will not be granted without all three documents.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022
3
Route the consignment only through one of the designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry/best-before date — may be corrected at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before inspection, per the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling dispensation.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The single most common failure on this tariff line is overlooking the STE-channel requirement: even a fully FSSAI-licensed importer with all documents in order cannot import Basmati rice directly — the import must flow through a State Trading Enterprise per DGFT Notification 44/2025-26. A consignment arriving on a direct commercial bill of entry is liable to detention and refusal of out-of-charge regardless of the completeness of the FSSAI and GM-free documentation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1006 30 12 require BIS certification?

No. Basmati rice is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with an STE-channel restriction and a GM-free certificate requirement under DGFT Notification 44/2025-26.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for HSN 1006 30 12?

Three documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), and Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS). All three must be uploaded before the customs officer grants out-of-charge.

Is genetically modified Basmati rice prohibited, and who issues the GM-free certificate?

Import of GM rice is restricted; a certificate confirming the consignment is GM-free must be issued by the competent government authority of the exporting country and presented at the bill-of-entry stage.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.