How to Start a Clinic in India: Licences & Setup Checklist (2026)

Opening your own clinic is mostly paperwork before it is medicine. This guide walks through what a new clinic in India needs: registrations, premises, systems and your first patients. At the end there is a checklist you can tick off as you go.

#Before you start

Decide three things first, because they change which approvals you need:

• What you will offer. Consultation only, or also procedures, a pharmacy, diagnostics or day-care beds.
• Who owns the clinic. You as an individual, a partnership, an LLP or a company. This affects your bank account, tax and contracts.
• Where it will be. Local rules on commercial use, signage, parking and fire safety differ between cities and buildings.

#Registrations and licences

1. Your own registration

You need current registration with your State Medical Council or the National Medical Commission. Your name, qualifications and registration number belong on every prescription.

2. Clinic registration

The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 applies in all Union Territories and the states that have adopted it. It covers clinics of all sizes, from single-doctor practices up. States such as Maharashtra and Delhi have their own laws for nursing homes and clinical establishments. Registration is often provisional first and becomes permanent once your clinic meets the notified minimum standards.

3. Local and safety approvals

Most cities need a shop & establishment or trade licence. A fire safety clearance may be needed depending on your building. Any clinic that generates bio-medical waste, such as sharps, dressings or expired drugs, needs authorisation under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 from the State Pollution Control Board, and a tie-up with an authorised common treatment facility.

4. Approvals for specific services

5. Tax

Health care services by a clinical establishment or an authorised medical practitioner are exempt from GST, so a consulting clinic usually does not need GST registration. Selling medicines, cosmetic products or non-medical services can change that. A chartered accountant can set up your books, professional tax and any GST registration correctly in one meeting.

#Premises, equipment and team

A small clinic needs a waiting area, a consultation room with privacy for examination, hand-washing facilities and good lighting. Keep a basic emergency tray, and make sure your staff know where it is.

Your first hire is usually a receptionist or assistant. Train them on three things before day one: registering patients, running the queue and recording payments. These are the jobs where a clinic either feels calm or chaotic.

#Records, billing and software

The cheapest moment to go digital is before your first patient. Starting on paper and moving later means retyping years of records, or never moving at all. A new clinic needs four things to work together:

• Patient records (EMR): history, vitals, allergies, diagnoses and past prescriptions, searchable by name or phone number.
• Prescriptions: legible, with your registration details, generic names and your letterhead.
• Queue and appointments: walk-ins and bookings in one list the doctor can see.
• Billing: cash, UPI and card receipts, and a daily collection report.

Doctor OS covers all four in one place, with a first month for ₹19.

#Getting your first patients

Most patients find a new clinic on Google Maps. Create and verify your Google Business Profile with the right category, timings, photos and phone number, and add an online booking link. Then introduce yourself to nearby doctors, labs and pharmacies: referrals still fill most new clinics. Finally, switch on follow-up reminders, because a patient who comes back is worth more than a new one.

#The full checklist

Tick items off as you go. Your progress is saved in this browser, and you can print the list for your file.

#FAQ

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed November 2026.