NEWS
INDIA SUPREME COURT MOVES TO BAN SELLING ALCOHOL IN TETRA PACKS
By Staff Reporter
25-5-2026
Credit: Rajat Bhandari/Twitter
India’s Supreme Court has initiated proceedings for a nationwide ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in juice-style cartons, tetra packs and inconspicuous sachets, citing severe public health risks stemming from the products’ deceptive packaging.
The court has issued an official notice to the federal government and all state excise departments, mandating their response to the proposed regulatory overhaul.
A judicial bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, heard a public interest litigation filed by Community Against Drunk Driving (CADD), which spearheads the push to eliminate misleading alcohol packaging.
The petition argues that fruit-themed packaging emulating common juice products effectively masks spirits including vodka and whiskey, lowering barriers for underage access and endangering public health broadly.
Chief Justice Kant emphasised the highly deceptive nature of such packaging, noting that colourful prints of mango, apple and other fruits commonly adorn containers holding hard liquor.
Vipin Nair, legal counsel for CADD, highlighted a critical regulatory loophole distinguishing these alcoholic products from tobacco goods: the absence of prominent health warnings on their packaging.
He underscored misleadingly labelled variants such as Chelli Mango Vodka and Bunty Premium Vodka, which deliberately blur the line between harmless fruit beverages and potent liquor to mislead consumers.
The petition and judicial proceedings centre on three core public safety concerns driven by unregulated juice-style alcohol packaging.
The compact, unassuming containers are easily concealed and transported into schools, enabling underage consumption and evading parental supervision.
Their discreet design also facilitates public drinking and cross-state liquor smuggling, complicating state excise enforcement.
Beyond consumer risks, the bench reprimanded state governments for prioritising excise revenue over public welfare, with Justice Bagchi stating that administrative bodies are compromising public health for fiscal gains.
CADD’s litigation seeks sweeping standardised reforms to overhaul India’s alcohol packaging regulations.
The organisation is pushing for a uniform national ban on liquor sales via tetra packs, sachets and all non-distinct packaging formats.
It also demands amendments to state excise laws to restrict alcohol packaging exclusively to glass bottles or clearly identifiable containers that eliminate consumer confusion.
Additionally, the petition calls for mandatory, high-visibility standardised health warnings on all alcoholic products, aligned with existing regulatory norms for tobacco products.
The regulatory debate has gained traction after Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka authorised tetra-pack packaging for local country liquor, citing improved transportation safety and anti-adulteration benefits for the format.
While alcohol industry stakeholders defend the packaging as cost-effective and eco-friendly for reducing plastic waste, public health critics counter that its juice-like appearance normalises alcohol consumption among minors and erodes public health protections.
The Supreme Court has ordered the central and state governments to file official responses within a set time frame, with the next court hearing scheduled upon receipt of their submissions.
If fully enforced, the nationwide ban will align India’s alcohol marketing and packaging rules with global public health standards, curb deceptive industry practices and shield vulnerable groups, particularly minors, from alcohol exposure and misuse.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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