Terms & Conditions.

For the purposes of these Terms, the following capitalised expressions carry the meanings set out below. References to legislation include all amendments and rules thereunder.

• "ONIC"The One Nutrition Intelligence Centre, an initiative of the India Chamber of Business & Commerce.
• "OCA"The ONIC Certification Authority - the independent certification division.
• "OCS"ONIC Commercial Services - the commercial services and startup acceleration division.
• "Platform"The ONIC website, AI systems, forms, portals, and all related digital infrastructure.
• "Applicant"Any individual or entity submitting an application, form, or data through the Platform.
• "Ecosystem Participant"Any startup, company, or entity enrolled in the ONIC ecosystem.
• "Services"All services offered through OCS and OCA - including formulation support, certification, testing, brand development, and market access.

By accessing or using the ONIC Platform, submitting any form or application, or engaging with any ONIC service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions.

If you are submitting on behalf of a company or organisation, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

ONIC services are available to entities and individuals operating in the nutrition, nutraceutical, health supplement, dietary supplement, functional food, and food for special dietary use sectors.

The following are excluded from ONIC ecosystem participation:

• Products regulated under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act (CDSCO jurisdiction).
• Tobacco, alcohol, or recreational products.
• Products containing WADA-banned substances as primary ingredients.
• Entities with active regulatory enforcement actions from FSSAI, CDSCO, or equivalent authorities.
• Products making drug claims (cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent disease).

OCS and OCA operate under a strict Firewall Protocol that enforces separation across personnel, data systems, finances, and governance.

The Firewall is audited by independent governance and any breach is treated as a material compliance event.

All service fees are as published in the ONIC Services Catalog and individual service agreements. Key provisions follow.

• Certification Fees - ₹3,00,000 (standard track) or ₹4,50,000 (expedited track). 100% advance payment required.
• Membership Fees - Annual fees as per selected India Chamber and ONIC ecosystem tiers.
• Service Fees - Individual service fees as per OCS Services Catalog. Fees are subject to revision with 30 days' notice.
• Refund Policy - Certification fees are non-refundable once the assessment process has commenced. Service fees are subject to the refund provisions of individual service agreements.
• All fees are exclusive of applicable taxes (GST) unless explicitly stated otherwise.

ONIC does not acquire equity, royalties, or perpetual IP claims through the provision of services. Applicants retain full ownership of their formulas, brands, product IP, and proprietary data.

AI Training Data. Applicants who opt in to the AI Training Data Election (per MCF Section 3.4.1) consent to their anonymised product data being used to improve ONIC AI models. This election is voluntary, revocable at any time, and provides a fee reduction on AI-powered services. Opting out has no impact on service quality or certification outcomes.

All ONIC frameworks, standards, SOPs, scoring methodologies, AI systems, and platform infrastructure remain the intellectual property of ONIC / India Chamber of Business & Commerce.

All information submitted by Applicants through ONIC forms, portals, and communications is treated as confidential and processed in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

ONIC will not disclose Applicant data to third parties except: (a) as required by law or regulatory authority; (b) to ONIC-empaneled service providers (ECMs, EALs, EIS) strictly for the purpose of delivering requested services; (c) in anonymised, aggregated form for research and AI improvement purposes (with consent).

Certification under the Responsible Nutrition Standard is governed by the following provisions.

• Scientific Determinations are issued by the IRB and are final, subject only to the formal appeal process (ONIC-FORM-OCA-APL-001).
• Certification tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Conditional Bronze) are awarded based on the 20-point Responsible Nutrition Standard scoring methodology.
• Non-Negotiable Safety Floor breaches result in automatic denial regardless of total score, with no exceptions.
• Certified products are subject to post-certification surveillance, including market sample testing and annual re-certification.
• Certification may be suspended or revoked if: (a) material misrepresentation is discovered; (b) post-certification testing reveals non-compliance; (c) adverse events are not reported within 48 hours; (d) the Applicant fails to cooperate with surveillance audits.
• Certification outcomes (tier and validity period) are published on the ONIC public registry.

By submitting any application or form, the Applicant represents and warrants that:

• All information provided is true, accurate, and complete.
• The Applicant has the legal authority to submit the application and bind the entity.
• The products described comply with all applicable FSSAI regulations.
• There are no undisclosed regulatory enforcement actions, pending litigation, or material facts that would affect eligibility.
• Any material misrepresentation may result in denial of certification, revocation of any certificate issued, termination of ecosystem participation, and referral to regulatory authorities.

ONIC services - including AI-assisted analysis, formulation support, and certification - are provided on an "as-is" basis. ONIC does not guarantee:

• Commercial success of any product.
• Regulatory approval by any authority (FSSAI, FDA, EFSA, or others).
• Accuracy or completeness of AI-generated analysis (all AI outputs are subject to human review).
• Uninterrupted availability of the Platform.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, ONIC's total liability for any claim arising from or related to these Terms or any Service shall not exceed the fees paid by the Applicant for the specific Service giving rise to the claim.

The Applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless ONIC, India Chamber of Business & Commerce, their officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from: (a) the Applicant's breach of these Terms; (b) any misrepresentation in submitted data; (c) any product liability claim related to the Applicant's products; (d) any regulatory action resulting from the Applicant's non-compliance.

• Voluntary Withdrawal - Applicants may withdraw from the ONIC ecosystem at any time, subject to the terms of any executed service agreements and outstanding payment obligations.
• Termination by ONIC - ONIC reserves the right to terminate ecosystem participation if: (a) exclusion criteria are discovered post-enrollment; (b) material misrepresentation is identified; (c) the Applicant fails to comply with post-certification obligations; (d) the Applicant engages in conduct detrimental to the ONIC ecosystem.
• Effect of Termination - Upon termination, the Applicant must cease use of ONIC certification marks, QR codes, and any reference to ONIC certification status. Confidentiality obligations survive termination.

Any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms shall be resolved as follows.

1. Certification Appeals - Certification decisions may be appealed through the formal appeal process (ONIC-FORM-OCA-APL-001) within 30 days of the decision.
2. Mediation - Parties shall first attempt to resolve disputes through good-faith mediation.
3. Arbitration - If mediation fails, disputes shall be referred to binding arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, with the seat of arbitration in New Delhi, India.
4. Governing Law - These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. The courts of New Delhi shall have exclusive jurisdiction for any matters not subject to arbitration.

When using the ONIC Platform, you agree not to:

• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information.
• Attempt to access systems, data, or accounts not authorised for your use.
• Interfere with or disrupt the Platform's operation or security.
• Use the Platform for any purpose not related to ONIC services.
• Reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from ONIC proprietary content without authorisation.

ONIC reserves the right to modify these Terms & Conditions at any time. Material changes will be communicated to Ecosystem Participants with a minimum of 30 days' notice. Continued use of the Platform or Services after the effective date of any modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

For questions concerning these Terms, certification proceedings, or ecosystem participation, address all communications to the One Nutrition Intelligence Centre at the coordinates noted below.