The Supreme Court sought government replies on liquor packaging restrictions and mandatory age checks. The petitions raise concerns over discreet packs, underage access and uniform excise rules.
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Newdelhi,Oct 14, 2026 20:23 IST
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre and states to respond within four weeks to a plea seeking a ban on the sale of alcohol in inconspicuous packaging, including tetra packs, plastic sachets and portable PET bottles.
The court also sought responses to a related plea for mandatory age checks at liquor sale points. It allowed the Action Alliance for Recycling Beverage Cartons (AARC), which opposed the proposed packaging ban, to become a party to the case.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, R Mahadevan and Aparesh Kumar Singh gave petitioner NGO Community Against Drunken Driving two weeks after the responses are filed to submit its rejoinder. The matters will be heard after six weeks.
Senior advocate Vipin Nair, appearing for the NGO, said alcoholic beverages were being sold in tetra packs in 10 states and Union Territories with imagery and names such as “Chili Mango Vodka”. He said the packs looked like fruit juice cartons, while the alcohol content was mentioned in smaller letters.
Nair told the court that the Centre and states had not filed their responses to the petition.
The bench said, “Liberty is granted to the petitioner to serve the unserved respondents through the standing counsel for the concerned respondents... Four weeks' time is granted to the represented respondent(s) to file their counter affidavit(s).”
It added, “The petitioner will have two weeks' time thereafter to file a rejoinder affidavit. List the matter after six weeks.”
The NGO has sought a direction to the Centre to frame a policy applicable to all states and Union Territories and ban the sale of alcohol in packaging such as tetra packs and sachets.
It has also asked the Centre to frame a policy requiring states to amend their excise laws, rules and policies and adopt a uniform definition of “bottling” limited to glass containers or other visibly distinct packaging.
The petition called for the standardisation of state excise policies on liquor packaging and said inconspicuous packs had the potential to sharply increase alcohol consumption.
“The petitioner is constrained to file this public interest petition after observing that alcohol, particularly cheaper alcohol, is being sold in inconspicuous packaging viz portable PET bottles, plastic sachets and tetra packs in various states across the nation,” it said.
Senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for AARC, sought permission for the organisation to join the case. He said the petition, presented as a public interest litigation, directly targeted the paper-based carton packaging industry by arguing that selling liquor in glass bottles was better than selling it in aseptic paper-based cartons.
AARC said alcoholic beverages had been permitted to be sold in such cartons in India for the past 21 years and were currently allowed in 10 states and Union Territories. Karnataka had permitted such sales since 2005, while Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh had done so since 2014.
“It is stated that state excise policies in this regard have been issued openly and in exercise of statutory power, and have continued uninterrupted since,” AARC said.
It estimated that 10 billion alcoholic beverage cartons were sold in India every year.
AARC said, “It is stated that where a lawful practice has subsisted openly, under statutory permission, for almost 21 years, and where investment and employment on that scale have been created in reliance upon it, a petition seeking its prohibition without any explanation for the delay in challenging the same, is liable to be dismissed on the ground of delay and laches and more so where the relief would have an immediate and irreversible prejudice upon a large body of third parties not before the court.”
The bench allowed AARC to become a party to the matter.
In the related case, the court asked the Centre and states to respond within four weeks to the NGO's plea seeking an effective system and a firm policy to enforce mandatory age checks at liquor sale points. It also directed that a copy of the petition be served on the office of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for his response.
“List the matter after six weeks. In the meantime, the petitioner may serve a copy of this petition in the office of the solicitor general. Four weeks' time is granted to the respondent no. 1, Union of India, to file a counter affidavit,” the court said.
On May 20, the Supreme Court had sought responses from the Centre and other stakeholders on the plea seeking a ban on alcohol sales in tetra packs and sachets.
On November 11, 2024, it had sought the Centre's response to the NGO's petition, which said states had laws prohibiting people below a specified age from consuming or possessing alcohol but lacked a strong system to verify the age of buyers or consumers at points of sale or consumption.
The petition also opposed doorstep delivery of liquor, arguing that it would hasten the development of alcohol consumption habits among underage people.
The Supreme Court will hear the matters after six weeks, following responses from the Centre and states on the proposed packaging restrictions and mandatory age-verification system, and a rejoinder from the NGO.
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