Red Bull sues Indian regulator over 'energy drink' label ban
NEW DELHI: Austrian beverage maker Red Bull has sued India’s food regulator for prohibiting the use of the “energy drink” descriptor without issuing any warning notice, which it claims is impacting its investments in India, its court filing showed. Red Bull is one of a number of globally recognized brands to have sued the Indian regulator in recent months amid an unprecedented food standards…
Austrian beverage company Red Bull has filed a lawsuit against India's food regulator for banning the use of "energy drink" as a descriptor on their products, without providing any prior warning notice. This decision, according to Red Bull's filing, is causing significant regulatory uncertainty and negatively impacting their investments in India.
The move is part of a broader crackdown on food standards enforcement in the country, which has also led to similar legal battles for other global brands like Diageo, Pepsi, Monster Beverage, and Mukesh Ambani's Reliance. The Indian government has accused Red Bull of disregarding India's policy of promoting international trade and providing certainty to businesses.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) maintains that globally recognized descriptors like "energy drinks" were never permitted on product labels. Despite this, Red Bull's India unit reports that the energy drinks market in India is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2028 and has grown at a rate of 12.6% annually, with Red Bull's revenue in the sector reaching $130 million in 2024.
Written by urgent.news from Business Recorder's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
