India, June 10 -- A new lax trade licensing regime for 67 categories of food-related businesses - under which permits can be issued instantly without extensive documentation - took effect on Tuesday, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) operationalising its new health trade license portal, senior civic officials said.

Under the revised system, licenses for dozens of trades can now be issued instantly, and the certificate issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will now be treated as a "deemed license" for several categories, including restaurants, banquet halls, food carts, and cloud kitchens.

A senior MCD official explained that applicants will have to submit the prescribed license fee, along with up...