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Before your first production run

Twenty things that need to be true before your first batch. Tick them off as you go; your progress saves on this device.

Your checklist

Be strict: tick only what's really done.

Product

Legal and label

Packaging

Manufacturing

Money and selling

Stuck on a box?

Vikas has run a plant for 20 years. One call usually clears three or four boxes at once.

Questions founders ask

What do I need before my first production run?

A final recipe with exact percentages, ingredient specifications and suppliers, shelf life and nutrition tested, FSSAI and GST in place, a trademark filed, the label checked, and a pack chosen and tested with your product.

What should I ask on a plant visit?

Which line your product runs on, which licences and certificates they hold, how raw material is stored and tested, what happens when a batch fails a check, and whether you can run a small trial batch first.

Should I run a trial batch?

Yes. Make it, test it, fix it, and sign off the specification before the first production order.