The government has extended the timeline for the rollout of mandatory quality control norms for aluminium cans used in the food processing and beverages industry, providing relief to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage makers, from cola makers to beer brewers.
The move is hailed by the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage makers, who have stated that the extension order will help to bridge the gap between demand and supply before the arrival of the peak summer season.
The cookware, utensils and cans for foods and beverages (quality control) Order, 2026, will be implemented for large arms from October 2026, for small units from January next year, and for micro enterprises from April 2027.
As per the order, these goods will have to conform to the respective Indian standards and shall bear the Standard Mark under a licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). It was issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade on January 15. DPIIT is an arm of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
This extension is also likely to benefit food companies using similar can packaging for premium foods.
The beverage industry, which typically begins stocking from mid-January in anticipation of soaring demand during summer, had feared a dip in sales due to supply bottlenecks on aluminium cans.
The reprieve comes at a time when consumption of beverages in metallic cans is rising sharply, driven by millennials preferring them over traditional glass bottles and aseptic carton packaging.
The extension is seen as a crucial step to bridge demand-supply gaps and ensure uninterrupted growth for beverage makers during their busiest season.
Aluminium cans, widely used by beer brewers and soft drink companies, were brought under the ambit of mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification from August 2025, through a quality control order (QCO). The move, aimed at ensuring quality compliance, has led to short-term supply disruptions as India continues to rely on imports to meet rising demand.
Key suppliers BALL Beverage Packaging India and Can-Pack India have already exhausted their domestic capacity and indicated they will be unable to ramp up production for at least 6–12 months, until new manufacturing lines are commissioned.
Besides, due to the QCO, the beer industry cannot import cans from foreign vendors as the BIS certification could take several months, creating a risk of supply disruption.
Commenting over the development, the Brewers Association of India (BAI) said extension of timeline for BIS certification on imported cans is a very timely decision by the DPIIT to prevent a big potential crisis for the beer and other beverages industries.
‘It will help alcobev companies prepare better for the upcoming summer season when the demand for beer and even soft drinks shoots up,’ said BAI DG Vinod Giri.
Beer makers prefer locally made empty cans because they cost significantly less than imported ones. However, domestic capacity is currently short by over 20%.
‘Can manufacturers are investing in adding capacity in the country but it takes time. This extension of timeline will allow them sufficient time to add to production capacity in the country while filling up gaps through imports, thus preventing disruption in business,’ he said.
BAI, which represents three leading beer makers — AB InBev, Carlsberg, and United Breweries — together accounting for 85% of beer sold in India, has been in continuous dialogue with the DPIIT on this issue since last August.
‘We are glad to see timely action by the Government to resolve the matter. Its very reassuring and we appreciate that,” said Giri.
Last year, the Managing Director and CEO of United Breweries Ltd. also flagged this issue in an interview with PTI.
Anticipating the situation, he had then said for the industry, the challenge is supplies ‘more than the inflation, especially on the packaging material, because we have a can shortage in India.’ The ‘Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Extension Order, 2025’ requires manufacturers and importers to obtain a license from the BIS and ensure their products conform to specific Indian Standards on material composition, lids, shapes, dimensions, seam integrity, pressure resistance, leakage prevention, chemical stability, and internal and external coating adherence.
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