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Selling alcoholic drinks in India

In India, alcoholic drinks are food under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, so FSSAI sets their standards and label rules. The states license the trade itself: manufacture, import into the state, transport, sale and excise duty are governed by each state's excise law, and price declarations follow state excise rules.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Product standards and labels
FSS (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018
Trade licences and duty
Each state's excise law
Statutory warning
At least 3 mm, in English or a state language
Nutrition information
Not allowed on the label
Health claims
Not allowed
Alcoholic beverage
More than 0.5% abv

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Which FSSAI standard does the drink fall under, and does it meet it? Read more
  2. 2What has to be on the label? Read more
  3. 3Which state excise licences, permits and label registrations does it need? Read more
  4. 4How is the price declared? Read more
  5. 5How is an import cleared? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

FSSAI standards

What counts as an alcoholic beverage, and the standards for each kind.

  • Section 3(j) of the FSS Act includes alcoholic drink in the definition of food.
  • An alcoholic beverage is a beverage, liquor or brew containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume.
  • The regulations set standards for distilled spirits, wine, cider, beer and other drinks, with a tolerance for the declared alcohol content.
  • A drink labelled "matured" is matured for at least one year in wood, and an age claim with "aged" refers to the youngest spirit in the blend.
  • A drink of not more than 8.0% abv may be called a low alcoholic beverage.
  • FSSAI's compendium notes that enforcement of the standards started on 1 April 2019.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the specification and lab reports against the standard for the drink, and keeps them with each batch. Ask about this

Label

What an alcoholic drink's label shows, in addition to the general food label.

  • Alcohol content is declared as per cent abv or as proof.
  • The label may give the approximate number of standard drinks, one standard drink being 12.7 ml of alcohol.
  • The label carries no nutrition information and no health claim, and a drink above 0.5% abv may not use the words "non-intoxicating".
  • Wine labels show the origin and the amount of sugar; a wine with more than 10 mg of sulphur dioxide per litre declares "Contains sulphur dioxide" or "Contains sulphite".
  • Drinks other than wine with less than 10% alcohol show an expiry or use-by date.
  • The statutory warning "CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH. BE SAFE-DONT DRINK AND DRIVE." is printed in English at least 3 mm high; a state may allow it in its own language instead.
  • The vegetarian and non-vegetarian logos do not apply to alcoholic beverages.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your label against the alcohol particulars and the warning, and shows what is missing. Ask about this

State excise

Licences, permits, label registration and duty under state excise law.

  • Each state's excise law governs manufacture, import into the state, transport, possession and sale of liquor.
  • In Delhi, for example, section 11 of the Delhi Excise Act, 2009 bars importing, transporting, bottling or selling an intoxicant except under a licence, letter of intent or permit.
  • Delhi's excise revenue includes duty, licence fees, a label registration fee and import or export fees (section 26).
  • Delhi's Act bars selling liquor to anyone apparently under the age of 25 years (section 23).
  • Rules differ from state to state; read the excise law of each state where the drink will be sold.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each state licence, permit and label registration with the products it covers, dated, and shows which are expiring. Ask about this

Price and quantity

How the Legal Metrology rules apply to alcoholic drinks.

  • Pre-packed alcoholic drinks carry the declarations of rule 6 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, such as net quantity and the manufacturer or importer.
  • For alcoholic beverages, the retail sale price follows the state excise laws of the state of manufacture; where those do not provide for it, the Packaged Commodities Rules apply.
  • Under the 2022 amendment, the unit sale price of alcoholic beverages also follows state excise law.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the pack against the rule 6 declarations, with the state excise point noted for price. Ask about this

Import

How imported alcoholic drinks are cleared and labelled.

  • Imported alcoholic beverages follow the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017, with a central FSSAI import licence and clearance at the port.
  • Geographical names may be used on a label only for products from that region.
  • State excise law then governs bringing the drink into each state and selling it there.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the FSSAI import papers and the state permits with each lot. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Brand ownerThe label, its warning and the alcohol declaration.Label read against the alcohol particulars and the warning text.
Distiller, brewer or wineryA drink that meets the FSSAI standard, and the state manufacturing licence.Specifications and lab reports kept with each batch.
ImporterFSSAI import clearance and the state import permits and label registrations.FSSAI and state papers kept together and dated.
Distributor or retailerState excise licences for storage and sale, and age limits at sale.Licences tracked by state, with expiry dates shown.

Central and state rules

FSSAI sets standards and label rules across India; each state runs its own excise law for licences, permits, label registration and duty.

A state may allow the statutory warning in its local or regional language without repeating the English version.

Questions businesses ask

Who regulates alcohol in India?
Two layers. FSSAI sets standards and label rules under the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018. Each state's excise law governs licences, permits, label registration, duty and sale.
What is the health warning on alcohol labels in India?
"CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH. BE SAFE-DONT DRINK AND DRIVE." It is printed in English, at least 3 mm high; a state may allow it in its local or regional language instead.
Can an alcohol label show nutrition information in India?
No. The Alcoholic Beverages Regulations, 2018 bar nutrition information and health claims on alcoholic beverage labels.
Do alcoholic drinks need an expiry date in India?
Drinks other than wine with less than 10% alcohol show an expiry or use-by date, in day, month and year order. Wine and stronger drinks do not.
How is alcohol content declared?
As per cent alcohol by volume or as proof. The label may also state the approximate number of standard drinks, one standard drink being 12.7 ml of alcohol.
What does a wine label need in India?
In addition to the general alcohol particulars, the origin (country or state) and the amount of sugar, and "Contains sulphite" or "Contains sulphur dioxide" above 10 mg per litre.
Do I need to register my alcohol label with the state?
Many states charge for label registration. Delhi's Excise Act, 2009, for example, lists a label registration fee among its excise revenue heads. Check the excise law of each state.
How is MRP set for alcohol in India?
The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 provide that the retail sale price of alcoholic beverages is declared in accordance with the state excise laws of the state of manufacture.
What counts as an alcoholic beverage in India?
A beverage, liquor or brew containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume. Such a drink may not be labelled "non-intoxicating".
What is the legal drinking age in India?
It is set by each state. Delhi's Excise Act, 2009, for example, bars selling liquor to anyone apparently under 25 years of age.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in India?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including India's central regulators and the state rules that sit beside them. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in India and what your paperwork needs to show.

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