Part 1 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Part 1 of the Alcoholic Beverages Regulations, 2018 (regulations 1.1 to 1.4) says that the standards apply to distilled and un-distilled alcoholic beverages, defines the terms used, and lays down general requirements that every alcoholic beverage must meet before the product-wise standards in Parts 2 to 4 are applied.
The text is read as amended up to 19 November 2025 (FSSAI Compendium Version V dated 04.12.2025). FSSAI compendia are reference consolidations and the Gazette text prevails. Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. A business making these products needs a licence, and the licence side is explained under central FSSAI licence support.
The standards apply to distilled and un-distilled alcoholic beverages, and food business operators had to comply by 1 April 2019. An alcoholic beverage is one containing more than 0.5 per cent abv. Part 1 sets the tolerance on declared strength, bans listed substances, requires dilution water to meet IS:10500, ties age claims to the youngest spirit, and sets conditions for containers. The rules apply to distillers, brewers, vintners, importers and bottlers.
Regulation 1.1: application and commencement
Regulation 1.1(2) says the standards apply to distilled and un-distilled alcoholic beverages. Regulation 1.1(3) brings the Regulations into force on publication in the Official Gazette and says the food business operator shall comply by 1st April, 2019.
Regulation 1.2: definitions
Regulation 1.2 has sixteen numbered definitions plus two inserted ones (1.2.4a and 1.2.8a). The important ones are these.
| Clause | Term | Printed meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2.2 | alcohol by volume (abv) | ethyl alcohol (ethanol) content expressed as per cent. of total volume |
| 1.2.3 | alcoholic beverage | a beverage, liquor or brew containing more than 0.5 per cent. abv; ethanol used shall be of agricultural origin |
| 1.2.4 | alcohol proof | 1.75131 times the ethanol content by volume |
| 1.2.5 | distilled alcoholic beverage | a distilled beverage, spirit or liquor containing ethanol made by distilling ethanol produced by fermentation |
| 1.2.9 | neutral spirit (ENA) | product of distillation and rectification with minimum alcoholic strength of 96 per cent. abv |
| 1.2.12 | rectified spirit | spirit purified by distillation to not less than 95 per cent. abv |
| 1.2.15 | un-distilled or fermented beverage | beer, wine, cider or similar products |
The proviso to 1.2.3, added by amendment, says the 0.5 per cent limit is zero for beer sold as a beer with no alcohol. Regulation 1.2.4a, inserted by an amendment that the compendium says came into force on 1 January 2026, defines "alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages": flavoured beverages with more than 0.5 and up to 15.0% alcohol by volume, made from spirit or an alcoholic beverage as base with flavours, permitted additives, juice, herbs or spices, with or without sugar or sweeteners or salt and with or without carbonation. Where carbonated, the carbon dioxide must give a minimum of one volume and the product must conform to Table-4.
Regulation 1.2.8a, also inserted, defines a "non-alcoholic counterpart of alcoholic beverage" as a beverage with alcohol of 0.5% abv or less that meets all the requirements of the alcoholic beverage of origin except the ethyl alcohol content; the origin beverage must have undergone fermentation, with the alcohol removed afterwards. The definition of "methyl alcohol or methanol" at 1.2.8 notes that consumption above the specified limits may cause blindness or death.
Regulation 1.3: general requirements
1.3.1 Prohibited substances. Alcoholic beverages shall not contain chloral hydrate, ammonium chloride, paraldehyde, pyridine, diazepam, or narcotic or psychotropic substances, including caffeine other than naturally occurring caffeine. The psychotropic substances are those defined in 1.2.11 by reference to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and Schedules E and E1 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
1.3.2 Tolerance on strength. Substituted by amendment: for up to 20% abv, the tolerance on the declared strength is plus or minus 0.3 per cent (minus 0.5 per cent for up to 90 ml per bottle); for more than 20% abv, plus or minus 1.0 per cent (minus 1.5 per cent for up to 90 ml per bottle). For wine the tolerance is plus or minus 0.5. The text states the figures only and does not give a worked case.
1.3.3 Sugar may be added for rounding off.
1.3.4 Water used for dilution to bottling strength shall meet Indian Standards for Drinking Water, IS:10500 as amended from time to time.
1.3.5 Additives, enzymes and processing aids are allowed as permitted under the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011; see our sister article on food additives general conditions.
1.3.6 Matured. An alcoholic beverage labelled "matured" shall be matured for not less than one year in oak or other suitable wood vats or barrels, or with wooden chips.
1.3.7 Aged. Where an age claim is made with the word "aged", the age must refer to the youngest spirit in the blend.
1.3.8 Test methods are those in the FSSAI "Manual of Methods of Analysis of Foods-Alcoholic Beverages" as amended from time to time.
1.3.9 Containers and low alcohol. Alcoholic beverage shall be packed in suitable containers as specified in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. That instrument has been replaced; the current rules are the Packaging Regulations, 2018 and the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020, covered in our articles on packaging requirements and labelling. A proviso says bulk containers have no upper limit for alcohol content, must meet the safety parameters of the product standard, and must carry a label declaring "For Manufacturer of Alcoholic Beverages only".
The same regulation prints two further paragraphs. One says an alcoholic beverage with more than 0.5 per cent abv but not more than 8.0 per cent abv may be called a low alcoholic beverage, and low alcoholic beverages other than wine and beer shall conform to Table-4. The second, shown as a substitution with compliance from 1 July 2026 under a Direction dated 27 November 2025, says a beverage with more than 0.5 per cent abv and up to 15.0 per cent abv shall be called an alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage and shall conform to regulation 1.2 and Table-4. As the compendium shows both, a reader should check which wording applies to a given product.
Regulation 1.4: undefined words
Words not defined take the meaning in the Act and the rules made under it.
An invented example: Konkan Craft Spirits bottles a flavoured, carbonated drink at 6% abv made with a spirit base. It falls within the ready-to-drink definition, must use carbon dioxide at the minimum stated and must meet Table-4; its water must meet IS:10500; its declared strength is subject to the tolerance in 1.3.2.
Where the rest of the Regulations sit
Part 2 covers distilled beverages (see brandy to rum and vodka, liqueur and whisky), Part 3 covers wine, Part 4 covers beer, Part 5 covers labelling, and the Tables are in Tables 1 to 4 and Annexure-1. See also the overview alcoholic beverages under FSSAI.
Need help with an alcoholic beverage licence?
A distillery, brewery or bottling unit has to line up its licence with the product standards before launch. Our central FSSAI licence service can help scope the licence and check how the product is described.
Key takeaways
- The standards apply to distilled and un-distilled alcoholic beverages; compliance was due by 1 April 2019.
- An alcoholic beverage contains more than 0.5 per cent abv; the limit is zero for beer sold as a beer with no alcohol.
- Strength tolerance, water (IS:10500), additives, matured and aged claims and bulk containers are fixed in 1.3.
- Ready-to-drink and low alcoholic beverages are tied to Table-4.
Read next
- Regulations 2.1–2.5: brandy, country liquor, feni, gin and rum
- Part 5: labelling of alcoholic beverages
- Tables 1–4 and Annexure-1: compositional requirements
- Alcoholic beverages regulation under FSSAI
Disclaimer: Based on the FSSAI regulations named above as consolidated in FSSAI's compendium versions or as published in the Gazette, with the later notifications the article names (consulted on fssai.gov.in on 2-3 October 2026). Later notifications and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provisions referred to should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.