For most D2C supplement brands, marketplaces bring the reach while your own website brings the margins and the customer relationship. If you plan to sell supplements on Amazon India and on your D2C website, compliance is what keeps your listings live. Marketplaces check documents, reject listings with problematic claims, and can suspend products that draw complaints. Your own website is held to the same legal standards, even if nobody reviews it before it goes live.

This checklist covers what to have in place before you list: licensing, labels, listing content, claims, shelf life and fulfilment, for both marketplaces and your own site.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Marketplace policies change often, so always check the current category requirements in your seller account.

Before you list: the compliance foundation

Not licensed yet? Start with our guide to the FSSAI license for nutraceuticals.

Marketplace checklist (Amazon India and others)

1. Check category approval. Health and supplement categories can be restricted. Check what your seller account requires before you plan your launch date.
2. Register your brand using your trademark application or registration, so you control your listings.
3. Upload clear label images. Front, back and side panels should be legible and match the product exactly.
4. Write compliant titles and bullet points. Describe the product, ingredients and permitted benefits. Avoid disease claims and medical language.
5. Show the expiry and key details required for food products in your listing and images.
6. Plan fulfilment. Choose between marketplace fulfilment and your own shipping, and account for fees, returns and storage in your pricing.
7. Monitor reviews and questions daily in the first weeks, and respond quickly and accurately.

Your own D2C website checklist

• Show your business details clearly: legal name, address, FSSAI licence number, customer care contact and policies.
• Use the same claims as your label. Your website, ads and social posts must follow the same rules as your pack.
• Publish clear policies for shipping, returns and refunds, and privacy.
• Show product details such as ingredients, serving, advisories and storage, so customers know what they are buying.
• Set up secure payments and order tracking.
• Check influencer content before it goes live; you are responsible for claims made for your brand.

Claims: the most common reason listings get rejected

Health supplements are regulated as foods and must not claim to treat, cure or prevent disease. Check our supplement label requirements checklist for the full picture.

Shelf life when selling online

FSSAI has directed e-commerce food businesses to deliver products with adequate remaining shelf life. Reports of its November 2024 direction describe a minimum of 30% of shelf life or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery. Check the latest advisories on the FSSAI website. In practice, this means:

• Order batch sizes you can sell well within their shelf life.
• Rotate stock on a first-expiry, first-out basis, including in marketplace warehouses.
• Remove near-expiry stock from sale before it falls below the required remaining shelf life.

A practical launch timeline

After launch: keep your listings healthy

• Update listings and images whenever your label changes.
• Answer customer questions accurately, without health claims.
• Watch return reasons; damaged or leaking packs point to packaging fixes.
• Check stock expiry regularly, including stock held in marketplace warehouses.

Marketplace or own website: how to split your effort

Most brands use marketplaces for discovery and nudge repeat buyers to their own website with better offers, bundles or subscriptions.

How MAC Biosciences helps you get listing-ready

MAC Biosciences holds a Central FSSAI licence and manufactures tablets, capsules and liquid supplements in its GMP, WHO-GMP and ISO certified facility. We provide the manufacturer details your licence and listings need, review your label artwork against the final formula, and help you plan batch sizes that keep stock fresh for online sales. Typical delivery is 30 to 40 days after formula and artwork approval. Learn more about our nutraceutical manufacturing for D2C brands.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an FSSAI licence to sell supplements on Amazon India?

Yes. Any business selling supplements online in India needs a valid FSSAI registration or licence, and marketplaces typically ask for licence details before approving supplement listings.

Why do supplement listings get rejected?

Common reasons include disease or exaggerated claims, unclear or incomplete label images, missing documents, and listings that don’t match the product label. Keep listings accurate and consistent with your compliant label.

Do my website and Instagram have to follow the same rules as my label?

Yes. Claims made on your website, ads and social media, including influencer posts, must follow the same rules as your pack. Treat every channel as part of your label.

How much shelf life must a product have when delivered online?

Reports of FSSAI’s 2024 direction to e-commerce food businesses describe at least 30% of shelf life or 45 days before expiry at delivery. Check the current guidance and plan your batch sizes and stock rotation accordingly.

Get listing-ready with us

Tell us your product, channels and launch timeline, and we’ll help you prepare a compliant, marketplace-ready product. Book a consultation with MAC Biosciences.