The Factories Act, 1948 applies to any premises where 10 or more workers are employed and any manufacturing process is carried on with the aid of power, or 20 or more workers without power. In J&K, registration is granted by the Chief Inspector of Factories under the Labour Commissioner's office.
This guide explains the two-stage process — plan approval and licence — required for new factories in the Bari Brahmana, Samba, Kathua, Khanmoh and Rangreth industrial belts, plus the linked Boilers, CLRA and BOCW registrations that almost always follow.
Two-stage process — plan approval then licence
Unlike most J&K licenses, Factories Act registration has a mandatory plan approval step before construction. Skipping it leads to demolition orders.
- Stage 1 — Plan Approval (Form 1): submitted before any construction begins, with detailed building plans signed by a registered architect/engineer
- Stage 2 — Application for Licence (Form 2): submitted after construction is complete, with all installation details and worker counts
- Stage 3 — Annual renewal (Form 3): every calendar year before 31 December for the next year
Documents required
All applications are filed online via the J&K Labour Department portal (jklabouremp.com / jksrlm.in) and physical document set submitted at the Inspector of Factories office (Jammu or Srinagar).
- Form 1 (plan approval) or Form 2 (licence) duly filled
- Building plan with all sections, signed by registered architect (CoA)
- Site plan showing access roads, drainage, ETP location
- Manufacturing process flow chart
- List of plant and machinery with HP rating
- Maximum number of workers proposed (men, women, adolescents)
- Land ownership/lease document
- Pollution Control consent (CTE for plan approval, CTO for licence)
- Fire NOC (Provisional for plan, Final for licence)
- Stability certificate from a chartered engineer
- First aid, canteen, washroom and welfare facility plan
- Hazard analysis report (for Major Accident Hazard units)
- Electrical inspector's certificate
Process timeline
The combined plan approval + licence cycle in Jammu typically runs 90–150 days, depending on documentation quality and inspection scheduling.
- Plan approval: 30–45 days from submission
- Construction & installation: as per project
- Licence application after completion: 30–60 days
- Inspection by Inspector of Factories — verifies installations against approved plan
- Licence issued — valid till 31 December of the calendar year
- Annual renewal: filed before 31 December for the next year
Government fees in J&K (2025)
Factory licence fees are calculated per worker per HP capacity. Indicative slabs for Jammu region:
- Up to 20 workers, 50 HP: ₹3,500/year
- 21–100 workers, 51–100 HP: ₹7,500/year
- 101–500 workers, 101–250 HP: ₹15,000/year
- 501–1000 workers, 251–500 HP: ₹30,000/year
- Above 1000 workers or 500 HP: ₹50,000+/year
- Plan approval fee: 25% of the licence fee, one-time
- Late renewal: 25% surcharge per quarter
Linked registrations under J&K Labour Department
A Factories Act registration in Jammu rarely stands alone. Most units also need:
- Boilers Act, 1923 — for any boiler above 22.75 litres water capacity working under pressure
- Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 — Principal Employer registration if you engage 20+ contract workers
- Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 — if you employ 5+ workers from outside J&K
- Building & Other Construction Workers Act, 1996 — during the construction phase itself
- Motor Transport Workers Act — if you operate a vehicle fleet
- Single Combined Annual Return — covers all of the above plus Minimum Wages, Payment of Wages and Bonus Act
Frequently asked questions
- Strictly under the Act, the threshold is 10 workers with power. However, many smaller J&K units voluntarily register to qualify for industrial subsidies and to avoid disputes during expansion.
- No. They are sequential stages. Plan approval must be granted before construction starts, and the licence is granted only after physical completion and inspection of the constructed factory.
- Factory licences in J&K are valid till 31 December of the calendar year, irrespective of the date of grant. Renewal must be filed before that date.
- Yes. The J&K Labour Department portal allows online filing of Form 1, Form 2 and Form 3, with document upload and online fee payment. Inspection remains physical.