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Informist, Wednesday, May 20, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Wednesday issued notices to the government, Globus Spirits Ltd. and Wave Distilleries and Breweries Ltd. on a public interest litigation seeking a ban on sale of alcohol in tetra packs and sachets, and observed that this was a deceptive practice. The petitioner has sought that the government frame a policy for states to adopt a uniform definition of "bottling", which is only limited to glass containers or other visibly distinct receptacles, thereby eliminating executive discretion for approving deceptive packaging such as tetra packs under phrases like "other approved receptacles".

 

The apex court will hear the petition by Community Against Drunken Driving, an organisation that has been campaigning against the dangerous consequences of alcohol consumption, next on Aug. 10.

 

Alcohol, particularly cheaper alcohol, is being sold in inconspicuous packaging such as portable polyethylene terephthalate bottles, plastic sachets and tetra-packs in various states across the nation. These packages pose various risks, including consumption by juveniles, drinking in a moving vehicle, health risks, increased ease of smuggling, ease of public consumption, and environmental risks, said the petitioner.

 

Globus Spirits and Wave Distilleries are manufacturers and marketers of liquor products that are being sold in inconspicuous packaging, including tetra packs and portable polyethylene terephthalate bottles, which are the subject matter of the present public interest litigation, said the petitioner. Since these companies are directly engaged in the production and distribution of alcohol in the packaging, their presence as parties is necessary for complete and effective adjudication of the issues raised in the public interest litigation, said the petitioner.

 

These tetra paks have attractive packaging with vivid colours but do not have prominent health warnings like in the case of cigarettes, which would dissuade people from drunken driving and responsible drinking, said the petitioner. The warning, if any, is only in small fine print, which would be hardly visible or discernible to a consumer, said the petitioner.

 

Such packaging, being deceptively similar to fruit juices, facilitates easy access and concealment, encourages underage consumption, promotes public drinking and drunk driving, and even enables smuggling across state borders, the public interest litigation stated. It is alarming to note that these tetra packs are marketed under labels such as "Bunty Premium Vodka", "Chelli Mango Vodka" and "Premium Romanov Vodka – Apple Thrill" clearly intended to mislead consumers, it said. The use of fruit names alongside colour photographs of apples and mangoes on the packaging further reinforces this deception, said the petition. This reflects a deliberate marketing strategy to pass off alcoholic beverages as fruit juices, to evade scrutiny by authorities and further target underage consumers, it added.

 

At 1305 IST, shares of Globus Spirits Ltd. were down 1.3% at INR 876.80 on the National Stock Exchange.  End

 

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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