Reliance Challenges India’s Energy-Drink Label Ban in Court
Reliance Consumer Products has sued the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India over a June 30 order prohibiting its Campa drinks from being called “energy drinks.”
Reliance Consumer Products Ltd, the beverage arm of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, lodged a court petition on October 1 to contest a June 30 directive from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India that bars the use of the term “energy drink” for its Campa line. The filing argues that the order disrupts the company’s operations, harms its market presence and damages commercial goodwill. The petition comes after PepsiCo and Monster Beverage filed similar suits, and after Red Bull secured a court reprieve to keep its label.
As part of a broader food-safety campaign, Indian officials have confiscated Reliance stock and instructed e-commerce sites to delist the drinks. Reliance revived the Campa brand in 2023 to compete with Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, and the label ban threatens its growth in a market where energy-drink sales are expanding at about 12.6% annually.
Why it matters
The case could reshape labeling rules for high-caffeine drinks in India’s fast-growing beverage market.
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