Bengaluru: The Delhi High Court has allowed Reliance Industries to continue marketing its Campa products as ‘energy drinks,’ providing relief to the company’s beverages business after India’s food safety regulator ordered manufacturers to stop using the description.
The court’s decision came in response to a petition filed by Reliance this month against a June 30 directive from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The order instructed manufacturers of high-caffeine beverages marketed as energy drinks to remove the description from their products.
During the hearing on October 6, the Delhi High Court questioned why FSSAI had not issued a notice to Reliance before passing the order. The court indicated that the regulator could still address the issue.
The case will next be heard on November 5. The court is also scheduled to consider similar petitions filed by PepsiCo and Monster Beverage.
The FSSAI action is part of a wider food safety drive across India this year, which has included inspections, business shutdowns and new warning-label requirements in response to concerns over the potential health risks associated with such products.
Reliance Consumer Products, the company’s beverages arm, noted in its October filing that it has 168 million cans and 120 million plastic bottles of finished inventory carrying the ‘Energy Drink’ label. It also has pre-printed packaging for a further 400 million cans and 360 million bottles with the same labelling.
The company stated that the state authorities had seized some of its stock and e-commerce platforms had been directed to remove the products, causing significant disruption to its operations.
Reliance relaunched the Campa brand in 2023 and has used its extensive retail network and competitive pricing to compete with major beverage companies such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
The dispute comes as India’s energy drinks market continues to expand. Retail sales in the segment are growing by 12.6 percent annually, according to Euromonitor, faster than growth recorded in the US and China.
The case is expected to remain closely watched as the Delhi High Court considers the matter further on November 5, with similar petitions from PepsiCo and Monster Beverage also pending. The outcome could have wider implications for how high-caffeine beverages are marketed and labelled in India.
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