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Beverage can shortage hits India’s drink makers, Coke & Kingfisher turn to imports ahead of summer
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Friday, 16 January, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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India’s beverage industry is grappling with a serious aluminium can shortage just as demand for soft drinks and beer is set to surge with the approaching summer season. Major players, including Coca-Cola bottlers and Kingfisher beer producers, are increasingly relying on overseas supplies to avoid disruption in production, industry sources say.
The crunch stems from regulatory delays in certification of aluminium cans by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). A Quality Control Order (QCO) introduced in April last year made BIS certification mandatory for both domestic and imported cans. While aimed at improving quality, safety and recyclability, the rollout has been slow, causing a bottleneck that has impacted local manufacturers’ ability to scale up production.
Domestic suppliers like BALL Beverage Packaging India and Can-Pack India have already reached full capacity and cannot expand output quickly enough to bridge the gap. With new production lines expected to take 6–12 months to come online, beverage firms have doubled their import orders from can manufacturers in West Asia and Sri Lanka to secure enough empty cans for the peak season.
Beer makers have also widened their sourcing horizons, placing orders with suppliers in Germany, Thailand, Poland and Indonesia to maintain supply for popular 500 ml beer cans. Meanwhile, the Brewers Association of India (BAI) has urged the government to temporarily ease BIS certification rules so that pending import applications can be processed more quickly and avoid an industry-wide shortage.
Cans now make up roughly a quarter of annual soft drink and beer packaging in India, and without timely intervention, the shortfall could dampen growth just when consumer thirst is peaking.
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