PepsiCo says more than half a billion packs carry the wording the regulator wants gone, days after Red Bull won a reprieve.
PepsiCo India and Monster Energy India have asked a Delhi court to overturn a ban on calling high-caffeine drinks “energy drinks”, according to filings seen by Reuters. Monster filed on 30 September, and a judge is expected to hear both cases next week. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued the order on 30 June, and no damages figure has
What the regulator wants
FSSAI told manufacturers that “energy drink” is not a recognised category in India and raised concerns over the caffeine, sugar and taurine in these products. The dispute is about naming, not sales. The drinks remain legal to sell, but companies were given 90 days to drop the wording. The notices cover Sting, Adrenaline Rush, Red Bull, Monster Energy, Campa Energy and Hell Energy.
Packs already on shelves
PepsiCo India told the court the order carries “grave commercial consequences” and says it was not heard before the regulator acted. Monster makes the same complaint of no prior notice and says it is suffering financial and reputational damage. That leaves open what happens to stock already in circulation, whether relabelled, withdrawn or sold as it stands.
States have not waited. Rajasthan seized thousands of units of Sting, Campa Energy and Red Bull in July, and on 8 July told e-commerce platforms to stop promoting products as energy drinks.
Red Bull’s reprieve
On 29 September the Delhi High Court set aside the order against Red Bull because the company was never given a hearing. FSSAI may issue a fresh order after a show-cause notice. The court did not rule on whether the term itself is lawful.
A government official told Reuters that FSSAI will appeal on public health grounds. Separately, a court in western India has paused the order for Hell Energy.
Why the label matters
Euromonitor projects retail sales growing 12.6% a year to $1.6 billion by 2028, faster than in the United States or China. PepsiCo’s Sting, launched in 2017 in a 20-rupee bottle (about $0.21), took the category well beyond its premium roots. Brands have built distribution and advertising around the “energy drink” tag, which is why a wording change reaches so far.
England is due to bar energy drink sales to under-16s from April 2027.
Read more
