Bottles of Pepsi are displayed on a shelf in a supermarket in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Oct 29, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
Published : 15 Oct 2026, 03:19 PM
Updated : 15 Oct 2026, 03:19 PM
PepsiCo warned an Indian court on Thursday that its energy drink products could run out of stock nationwide within two months unless it can resume manufacturing with the “energy drink” label, which the country's food safety regulator has barred.
The Delhi High Court again refused to allow PepsiCo to restart production using the label, while rival Red Bull has secured temporary relief from the same order. PepsiCo, Monster and Reliance Consumer remain restricted to selling existing stocks carrying the label.
PepsiCo lawyer Sandeep Sethi told the court that competitors were still able to manufacture their products, warning that the company would soon have no goods left to sell.
The dispute centres on a June order by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which directed manufacturers of high-caffeine drinks to stop using the term “energy drink” amid concerns about potential health risks.
The case could test how far the regulator can go in controlling product labels in India's fast-growing energy drink market.
PepsiCo's Sting, launched in India in 2017, has become popular among 15- to 19-year-olds and in rural areas, with its 20 rupee ($0.21) bottles helping drive the category's growth, according to Euromonitor. The company also sells Adrenaline Rush in the country.
Sethi said switching to new packaging would be a lengthy process because cans had already been purchased and printed, warning that the change could disrupt the company's distribution network.
The court has yet to rule on the merits of the ban. The next hearing is scheduled for Oct 30.