Food and beveragemarketing

Our view: biscuits and namkeen sell mostly through kiranas and distributors, with quick commerce growing for top-up buys. The shopper decides in seconds, so the pack and a counter display do the selling. One rule: the FSSAI labelling rules of 2020 need an allergen line that starts "Contains", such as milk, peanuts or wheat. A small trial pack at a low price often works. The factory and the co-packer are not ours.

Source: Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 (FSSAI), regulation 5(14), version of 9 September 2025

Our view: masala sells through kiranas and weekly markets, in small packs, and buyers judge it by smell. One rule: "pure" may describe only a single-ingredient food with nothing added, so check it before it goes on a blended masala. India exported 17.34 lakh tonnes of spices, worth US$4,430.90 million, in 2025-26, so some brands also sell abroad. Sampling with a recipe card works well. Farming and grading are not ours.

Source: Advertising and Claims Regulations, 2018 (FSSAI), Schedule V, version of 14 December 2022. Spices Board, export data, 2025-26

Our view: ice cream sells in summer through parlours and kirana freezers, and on delivery apps. The freezer is the shop window, and the cold chain is a big cost. One rule: ice cream is a frozen milk product, and the regular grade needs at least 10% milk fat. A product made with vegetable oil or fat is named a frozen dessert or frozen confection. A freezer deal plus sampling in the first hot weeks works. Cabinets and cold vans are not ours.

Source: Food Products Standards Regulations, 2011 (FSSAI), sub-regulations 2.1.14 and 2.1.15

Our view: oil sells by the pouch or tin through kiranas and big stores. Price and trust decide. India made 12.18 million tonnes in 2023-24, which met 44% of demand. We think imported oil therefore sets the price. One rule: a health claim must come from the list for that oil, such as medium chain fatty acids for coconut oil. A clear ladder of pouch and tin sizes, with festival schemes, helps. Refining and imports are not ours.

Source: Press Information Bureau, National Mission on Edible Oils explainer, December 2025. Advertising and Claims Regulations, 2018 (FSSAI), Schedule IIA

Our view: atta, rice, pulses and sugar sell in packs and loose, mostly through kiranas and big stores. Price decides. On 6 November 2023 the Government began selling "Bharat" atta at an MRP of no more than ₹27.50 a kg. A private brand must show why it is worth more. One rule: fortified atta, rice or oil must say "fortified with" and carry the Schedule II logo. Show the mill and the pack date. Grain buying and storage are not ours.

Source: Press Information Bureau, 6 November 2023. Fortification of Foods Regulations, 2018 (FSSAI), regulation 7(2)

Our view: milk and curd are daily buys on fixed rounds or app subscriptions, and ghee and paneer sell in packs through kiranas and big stores. India made 247.87 million tonnes of milk in 2024-25, up 3.58%. One rule: a product meant to replace milk or a milk product cannot use dairy terms, and an analogue must say what it contains. A reorder reminder on WhatsApp works. Milk collection and the cold chain are not ours.

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, via Press Information Bureau, 26 November 2025. Food Products Standards Regulations, 2011 (FSSAI), sub-regulation 2.1.1

Our view: soft drinks and juices sell through kirana coolers and cold-drink dealers. Packaged water also sells through big stores and delivery apps. Heat and cooler space decide, along with price. One rule: on 3 June 2024 FSSAI told brands to remove "100% fruit juice" from labels and ads for reconstituted juice, and to write "reconstituted" in the ingredient list. Winning the cooler at the counter in the first hot weeks works. Bottling and the cold van are not ours.

Source: Press Information Bureau, 3 June 2024 (release ID 2022681)

Direct alcohol advertising is barred on cable TV, and rule 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 bars indirect ads too. Brand-extension (surrogate) advertising promotes a different product under the same name, such as soda or music CDs. It is under challenge: the Central Consumer Protection Authority's 2022 guidelines bar surrogate ads, and ASCI (the Advertising Standards Council of India) tests whether an extension is genuine. Alcohol is a State subject, so check your state's excise rules. We plan only inside the law, promise no results or reach, and write no ad that shows or hints at drinking. General guidance, not legal advice. See our surrogate advertising guide.

Source: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, rule 7(2)(viii)(A), as on 2 January 2025, and advisory of 15 September 2020. Central Consumer Protection Authority guidelines, 9 June 2022. ASCI Code, clause 3.6, and brand extension guidelines of 23 November 2023. Supreme Court, 23 October 2024, on Entry 8, State List. Examples: agencyfaqs, 11 April 2008