Halal Certification in India
Certificates issued by halal certification bodies · Preparation and coordination by GB Legal Associates
Halal certification confirms that a product, ingredient or facility meets halal requirements, as audited and certified by a halal certification body; India has no single government halal authority for domestic sales. For exports of meat and meat products to notified countries, DGFT export policy since 16 October 2024 requires certification under the Quality Council of India’s i-CAS Halal scheme by a NABCB-accredited body. GB Legal Associates prepares your documents and audit readiness and coordinates with a certifier recognised in your target market.
- Reviewed by
- Registered Trade Marks Agent
- Last updated
- Certifier matched to your market. A body recognised by the importing country, or i-CAS for meat exports.
- Ingredient files prepared. Specifications and supplier certificates organised for review.
- Plant readiness checked. Segregation, cleaning and traceability tested before the audit.
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- Recognised certifiersChosen for your export market
- Audit readinessIngredients, process and records
Halal certification in India at a glance
- Issued by
- A halal certification body, after document review and a site audit
- Meat exports
- i-CAS Halal (Quality Council of India), by NABCB-accredited bodies, under DGFT export policy
- Other exports
- A certifier recognised by the importing country’s authority
- Covers
- Products, ingredients, facilities, kitchens, storage and slaughter
- Validity
- Set by the certifier, with surveillance and renewal audits
- Our role
- Document preparation, ingredient review, readiness and coordination
What does halal certification check?
A halal audit checks that what goes into a product, and how it is made, stored and transported, meets the certification body’s halal standard. In practice that means four things.
- Ingredients and processing aids. Each must come from a permitted source. Animal-derived ingredients such as gelatin, enzymes, emulsifiers and flavour carriers, and alcohol used as a solvent, get the closest scrutiny.
- Slaughter and meat handling, for meat and poultry: the method of slaughter and supervision required by the standard.
- Segregation and cleaning. Halal production must not be contaminated by non-halal material on shared lines, in storage or in transport.
- Traceability and labelling. Records that link each batch to approved ingredients, and correct use of the certifier’s logo.
Certification is available to any business that meets the standard, whatever its ownership. It is a technical and documentary process, and that is where preparation makes the difference.
What types of halal certification are there?
| Scheme | What is audited | Typical applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Product certification | Named products, their ingredients and production | Packaged food, beverages, confectionery, spices |
| Facility or whole-plant certification | An entire plant and everything it produces | Plants producing only halal products |
| Food service | Kitchens, menus, suppliers and handling | Restaurants, caterers, hotel and airline kitchens |
| Slaughter and meat processing | Slaughter method, supervision, processing and cold chain | Abattoirs, meat and poultry processors and exporters |
| Storage and logistics | Warehousing, segregation and transport | Cold stores, warehouses and distributors |
| Ingredients and non-food | Raw materials, additives, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals | Ingredient makers, cosmetic and nutraceutical brands |
What is the i-CAS Halal requirement for meat exports from India?
Since 16 October 2024, DGFT export policy has required that meat and meat products exported as halal-certified to notified countries be produced, processed and packaged in facilities certified under the India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS) Halal of the Quality Council of India, with certificates issued by certification bodies accredited by NABCB. The exporter provides the valid halal certificate to the buyer in the importing country.
The list of countries was extended by a further DGFT notification in 2026, with transition periods for some destinations, and all other conditions remain, including compliance with the importing country’s own rules. Before you ship, check the current DGFT notification for your destination and confirm that your certifier holds NABCB accreditation for i-CAS Halal.
For products other than meat, there is no single Indian scheme. The importing country decides which certifiers it accepts.
Which halal certifier should an exporter use?
The one your buyer’s country recognises. Several importing countries keep lists of foreign halal certification bodies they accept, including Malaysia and Indonesia, and Gulf markets look to recognition and accreditation arrangements of their own. A certificate from a body that is not on the importing country’s list can mean goods held at the border.
Start with the market, not the certifier. We confirm the requirement for your destination and product, then shortlist certifiers that meet it, so you are audited once by a body whose certificate works where you sell.
What is the halal certification process?
Week 1
Market and certifier
Confirm what your buyers and the importing country require, and shortlist recognised certifiers.
Weeks 1 to 3
Document preparation
Product list, formulations, ingredient specifications, supplier halal certificates, process flow, cleaning and traceability procedures.
Weeks 2 to 4
Ingredient review
Each ingredient and processing aid is checked; problem ingredients are replaced or certified.
Before the audit
Readiness check
We walk the plant against the certifier’s standard: segregation, cleaning, storage, labelling and records.
Audit
Certifier’s site audit
The certification body audits the documents and the site, and records any nonconformities.
After the audit
Corrective action and certificate
Nonconformities are closed, and the certifier issues the certificate and the rules for using its logo.
Ongoing
Surveillance and renewal
Surveillance audits, notification of new ingredients or products, and renewal when the certificate is due.
What documents are needed for halal certification?
Business and licences
- Business registration and address of each site
- FSSAI licence or registration for food businesses
- Importer Exporter Code and APEDA registration where your product requires it
- List of products to be certified
Products and ingredients
- Formulations, held in confidence by the certifier
- Specification sheets for every ingredient and processing aid
- Halal certificates from ingredient suppliers, where required
- Labels and packaging artwork
Plant and processes
- Process flow diagrams for each product
- Cleaning and sanitation procedures and records
- Segregation plan for shared lines, storage and transport
- Traceability, pest control and staff training records
How should a certified plant manage ingredients and suppliers?
Most halal nonconformities trace back to an ingredient, not to the production floor. A certified plant needs a controlled list of approved ingredients, each linked to its manufacturer, its specification and, where the certifier requires it, a valid halal certificate from the supplier. The list is the reference the auditor checks against stores, batch records and labels.
Three habits keep certification stable between audits:
- No silent substitutions. A new supplier or a change in an ingredient’s source is approved by the certifier before use, even when the purchasing team sees it as a like-for-like swap.
- Expiry tracking. Supplier certificates expire. A lapsed certificate on a key ingredient can suspend your own certificate for the products that use it.
- Clear identification in stores. Approved ingredients are labelled and stored so that a non-approved lot cannot be picked by mistake, especially on shared sites.
We set up the ingredient file and the approval routine as part of preparation, so the plant can keep it running after the certificate issues.
What does the auditor look at during a halal site audit?
Audits differ by certifier and scheme, but the same areas come up in almost every one. We walk the plant against them before the certifier arrives.
- Receiving and stores. Incoming ingredients checked against the approved list, labelled and stored to prevent mix-ups.
- Production lines. Segregation or scheduling of halal runs, and the cleaning between them.
- Cleaning chemicals and lubricants. Food-contact chemicals and their sources, which are easy to overlook.
- Batch and traceability records. A sample batch traced from finished pack back to ingredient lots.
- Packaging and labels. Logo use limited to certified products, in the approved form.
- Storage and dispatch. Finished goods and transport arranged so that certified products stay segregated.
- People and training. Staff who handle halal products know the controls that apply to them.
- Corrective action. How the plant records and fixes a deviation when one happens.
What does GB Legal Associates do, and what does the certifier do?
| Task | GB Legal Associates | Halal certification body |
|---|---|---|
| Identify the requirement for your market | Yes | Advises on its own scheme |
| Prepare documents and ingredient files | Yes | No |
| Readiness check before the audit | Yes | No |
| Audit the plant and records | We support you during it | Yes |
| Issue the certificate and logo licence | No | Yes |
| Surveillance and renewal | We help you prepare | Yes |
How long does halal certification take?
Commonly a few weeks to a few months. Ingredient issues are the usual cause of delay.
| Stage | Typical time | Depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement and certifier selection | 1 to 2 weeks | Destination market and product |
| Documents and ingredient review | 2 to 6 weeks | Number of products and suppliers |
| Site audit | When the certifier schedules it | Certifier availability |
| Corrective action and certificate | 1 to 4 weeks after the audit | Findings to close |
Halal certification FAQs
Is halal certification mandatory in India?
Not for most domestic sales. It is required by many export buyers and importing countries, and for halal-certified meat and meat products exported to notified countries, DGFT rules require i-CAS Halal certification by a NABCB-accredited body.
Who issues halal certificates in India?
Halal certification bodies, which are private organisations. For meat exports under DGFT rules, the body must be accredited by NABCB for the i-CAS Halal scheme.
Can a vegetarian product need halal certification?
Yes. Buyers in many markets ask for it, and the audit still checks for alcohol-based ingredients, animal-derived additives and cross-contamination on shared lines.
Can one plant make both halal and non-halal products?
Often yes, with the segregation, cleaning and scheduling controls the certifier’s standard requires. Some schemes and some buyers require dedicated lines or a whole-plant certificate.
Does a halal certificate cover new products automatically?
No. Certificates list the products covered. New products and new ingredients are notified to the certifier and approved before they carry the logo.
Is halal certification relevant to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals?
Yes. Many export markets ask for it, and the review focuses on ingredients such as gelatin capsules, animal-derived excipients and alcohol content.
Should I protect my brand before exporting?
Yes. Register your trademark in India and, before you ship, in the markets you sell to. See trademark registration and the Madrid Protocol.