Food and Beverages

India’s food and beverages industry is a highly competitive market, consistently evolving with new products and services, changing consumption trends, and technology advancements that aid the industry across all stages, including manufacturing, doorstep delivery and supply chain logistics. Simultaneously, millennials’ inclination toward ready-to-eat and healthier fast-food alternatives is an additional factor influencing this growth. As a result, the industry is predicted to be the fastest-growing segment in Indian e-commerce, with a three-year CAGR of 29%, as per a report by Inc42. According to Maximise Market Research, the projected market volume of the food and beverages segment is USD 504.92 billion by 2027.

The laws and regulations that govern the industry are also consistently evolving to maintain health and safety standards and to protect consumer interests. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the statutory body entrusted with the regulation of food safety in the country, has consistently issued and updated regulations on standards to be maintained by various types of food businesses, labelling requirements and packaging requirements.

As the consumer’s trust in the brand plays an important role in this industry, intellectual property rights and their protection become crucial to food business operators. Indian laws around trademark and copyright protection, while comprehensive, are dated, and businesses often underestimate the importance of expert legal advice in navigating such laws to ensure that a brand’s public image is protected (against issues such as infringement and passing-off). Protection of intellectual property rights is also key to those businesses that are primarily technology based, such as food delivery aggregators.

Trilegal has been at the forefront of handling major issues affecting businesses in the food and beverage industries. We have helped food and beverage manufacturers, food industry associations, supply chain businesses, delivery aggregators, hotels and restaurant chains understand the implication of such issues on their business, the risks involved, and the best path to pursue their business objectives. We have supported businesses in this sector with M&A activities, commercial transactions, regulatory compliance (handling statutory notices and complaints), product recalls, advertising and labelling issues, and intellectual property protection issues, including those related to infringement, passing off, statutory registration of rights, environmental compliances and issues arising therefrom, and dispute resolution.

Some of our clients in this space include –

• Heineken International
• Cadbury Schweppes
• Lotte
• Cargill
• MTR Foods
• Associated British Foods
• Godrej