India’s beer makers are warning of a severe disruption in supply due to an acute shortage of aluminium cans, urging the government to allow short-term import relaxations to meet rising demand during the peak consumption period.
According to the Brewers Association of India (BAI), the domestic industry faces an annual deficit of nearly 12 to 13 crore aluminium cans in the 500 ml size segment, which accounts for roughly 20% of total beer sales across the country. The shortage, if unresolved, could cost the government an estimated ₹1,300 crore in lost excise revenue this fiscal year.
The supply crunch has been compounded by a mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification introduced on April 1, 2025, under a new Quality Control Order (QCO). While intended to ensure product quality and safety, the regulation has temporarily restricted imports from non-certified suppliers, leaving domestic manufacturers unable to bridge the gap.
Leading can producers Ball Beverage Packaging India and Can-Pack India have reached full production capacity and are unlikely to scale output for another 6 to 12 months as they expand their facilities. The bottleneck has already begun to affect breweries that rely heavily on canned formats for both retail and export markets.
Industry executives have appealed to the government for a limited relaxation in BIS compliance to allow certified international suppliers to ship cans into India until local capacity stabilizes. They warn that continued shortages could disrupt production, slow category growth, and affect availability during the upcoming festive and tourist seasons—key demand drivers for the sector.
