India

40% Goods and Service Tax (GST) on high-sugar and carbonated beverages

On 22 September 2025, an increased goods and service tax of 40% on high-sugar and carbonated beverages (including sugared or sweetened aerated waters and carbonated or sweetened fruit juices) came into effect.

Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024)

The guidelines provide updated recommendations to ensure balanced nutrition across life stages.

National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) 2023-2030

The NP-NCD aims to prevent and control the growing burden of NCDs. It focuses on health promotion, screening, early diagnosis and management of individuals with NCDs along with addressing their risk factors. These risk factors include unhealthy diet and insufficient physical activity.

Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsement of Misleading Advertisements, 2022

These Guidelines were introduced in June 2022 by the Central Consumer Protection Authority under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. The guidelines prohibits the advertisements of junk foods during a program meant for children or on a channel meant exclusively for children. This applies to all forms, formats, and media however, no definition of junk food is given.

Trans-fat policy

Food Products in which edible oils and fats are used as an ingredient shall not contain industrial trans fatty acids more than 2% by mass of the total oils/fats present in the product, on and from 01st January, 2022. Prior to that, there was a mandatory TFA limit of 3% by weight shall commence w.e.f. 01st April, 2021 and for such products manufactured on or after 01st April, 2021.

Eat Right Challenge

Interstate challenge. Through regulatory activities, social and behaviour change communication, food safety compliance and preventive healthcare can be ensured. This will assist in : Strengthening food safety through the food regulatory environment, providing safe and healthier food options to citizens and engaging citizens for adoption and demanding healthier diets through social and behaviour change.

Fit India Freedom Run

Fit India Movement is conducting Fit India Freedom Run from 15th August – 2nd October 2020 to encourage fitness and help us all to get freedom from obesity, laziness, stress, anxiety, diseases etc. The concept behind this run is that “It can be run anywhere, anytime!

Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and balanced diets for Children in School) Regulations, 2020

Ten-point Charter for Food Supplied to School Children

Eat Right Campus

The 'Eat Right Campus' initiative led by FSSAI aims to promote safe, healthy and sustainable food in campuses such as universities, colleges, workplaces, hospitals, tea estates etc. across the country. The objective is to improve the health of people and the planet and promote social and economic development of the nation. Campuses register, receive training, and are eventually certified after a final inspection. There are similar programmes for schools, food markets, stations and places of worship.

Eat Right Schools

The Eat Right School initiative, part of the Eat Right India programme, aims at creating awareness about food safety, nutrition & hygiene among school children, and through them among the community at large. Schools register to be Eat Right Schools, then appoint school health coordinators and conduct Eat Right activities before becoming a certified Eat Right School.

Fit India Movement

Fit India is a movement launched in 2019 to promote a more physically active lifestyle among the Indian population. The movement holds regular promotional campaigns and events, such as Fit India Week, the Freedom Run, and Fit India Women's Week. On their website, there are specific fitness protocols and guidelines for children, adults, and seniors.

Plans to introduce traffic light labelling scheme for foods sold in schools

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) wants to introduce a traffic light labelling scheme for foods sold in school canteens and vending machines, in a bid to curb consumption of sugary drinks, heavily processed foods and confectionery.

Aaj Se Thoda Kam

'Aaj Se Thoda Kam' is a national social media campaign, starring actor Rajkummar Rao, by FSSAI to encourage people to reduce their consumption of fat, sugar, and salt. Short educational videos with subtitles in 12 languages were released, along with flyers, banners and audio clips.

Eat Right India

Eat Right India is a programme by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to transform India's food system to ensure that everyone can access safe, healthy, and sustainable food. The programme collaborates with a range of stakeholders (national and state government agencies, food businesses, consumers, and academia) to promote healthy and sustainable food practices and build the capacity of food businesses.

ICMR Guidelines for the management of Type 2 Diabetes

Goods and Service Tax on Sweetened beverages

Since 1 July 2017, there has been a 28% tax on all goods [including aerated waters] containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or flavoured. It came into force under the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act 2017.

Management of Obesity in Asian Indians

This review outlines outlines approaches to obesity management in ‘real life mode’ and in context to Asian Indian patients.

National Action Plan and Monitoring Framework for Prevention and Control of NCDs in India

The National Action Plan and Monitoring Framework was developed as a consequence of World Health Organization's comprehensive Global Monitoring Framework for Prevention and Control of Non-communicable diseases (2013-2020) by setting 9 voluntary targets and 25 voluntary indicators for 2025. India, as a WHO member state, with all the national stakeholders, evaluated the existing NCD surveillance system leading to the establishment of an advisory group that developed National Action Plan and Monitoring Framework for Prevention of NCDs in 2013. This framework has resulted in setting of 10 targets and 21 indicators for 2025 to track the progress of actions designed to prevent and control NCDs in India.

National Nutrition Strategy

The National Nutrition Strategy is committed to ensuring that every child, adolescent girl and woman attains optimal nutritional status- especially those from the most vulnerable communities. The focus is on preventing and reducing undernutrition across the life cycle- as early as possible, especially in the first three years of life. One of the goals is to ensure that there is no increase in childhood overweight.

NCD Country Profiles 2018 (Obesity Targets)

The profiles also provide data on the key metabolic risk factors, namely raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose and obesity and National Targets on Obesity (as of 2017)

Kerala 'Fat Tax'

In August 2016, Kerala introduced an indirect tax of 14.5% on fast food. This included burgers, pizzas, tacos, doughnuts, sandwiches, pasta, and bread fillings sold by restaurants with a brand name or registered trademark. It was in effect until June 2017.

Mother’s Absolute Affection: Programme for Promotion of Breastfeeding

"Mother’s Absolute Affection" is a nationwide programme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in an attempt to bring undiluted focus on promotion of breastfeeding and provision of counselling services for supporting breastfeeding through health systems. The programme has been named ‘MAA’ to signify the support a lactating mother requires from family members and at health facilities to breastfeed successfully.

National Multisectoral Action Plan for Prevention and Control of NCD - India

This coordination mechanism was reported to the WHO Global Nutrition Policy Review 2016-2017

SANKALP: Disha swastha bharat ki (commitment to reduce the noncommunicable diseases in India)

The SANKALP document is a blueprint designed for the country to achieve its goals and targets under the National Action Plan and Monitoring Framework to prevent Non-Communicable Diseases. It defines an evidence based action plan that can be adopted by the government as well as the private sector by focusing on three key areas: Policy and Surveillance, Strengthening of Healthcare Systems and Healthcare Financing.

Consensus Physical Activity Guidelines for Asians Indians

The consensus physical activity guidelines for Asian Indians are a result of the absence of physical activity guidelines specifically for Asian Indians. The genesis of their development lies in the fact that the international physical activity guidelines have been developed based on the data available for the Caucasians. With Asian Indians predisposed to non-communicable diseases at a much early age compared to the Caucasians, the consensus group on physical activity across India formulated these guidelines. These focus on exercise prescription for Indian adults, adolescents and children.

Consensus dietary guidelines for healthy living and prevention of obesity, the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and related disorders in Asian Indians.

The consensus dietary guidelines for healthy living and prevention of obesity and other related disorders were developed considering the emergence of diet related non-communicable diseases in the country. These guidelines are applicable to Asian Indians in any geographical setting but are most applicable to individuals residing in the urban and semi urban areas. They focus on reduction in the intake of carbohydrates, preferential intake of complex carbohydrates and low glycemic index foods, higher intake of fibre, lower intake of saturated fats, optimal ratio of essential fatty acids, reduction in trans fatty acids, slightly higher protein intake, lower intake of salt, and restricted intake of sugar.

India Pledge

The India Pledge is a commitment to change food and beverage advertising on TV, print, radio and internet to children under 12. The commitment allows companies to advertise to under-12s only when the promoted products meet "strict science-based nutrition criteria". The Pledge was expanded and extended in 2016. It is voluntary.

Alive & Thrive (Promoting Breastfeeding)

Alive and Thrive (A&T) is an initiative to save lives, prevent illness, and ensure healthy growth and development through optimal maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, and complementary feeding practices.

Consensus Statement for Diagnosis of Obesity, Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome for Asian Indians and Recommendations for Physical Activity, Medical and Surgical Management

This consensus statement was developed to revise the guidelines for diagnosis of obesity, abdominal obesity, the metabolic syndrome, physical activity, and drug therapy and bariatric surgery for obesity for Asian Indians. These revised guidelines were formulated as the existing cut offs for overweight and obesity among Asian Indians was not appropriate as they are predisposed to developing obesity and its co-morbidities at lower cut offs. These guidelines are an evidence based outcome to be used countrywide to control the ever increasing burden of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Nutrient content list: Prevention of Food Adulteration (5th Amendment) Rules

On September 19, 2008, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implemented the Prevention of Food Adulteration (5th Amendment) Rules that mandate packaged food manufacturers to declare nutritional information on labels, even in the absence of a nutrition or health claim. The rules define which nutrients must be listed and on what basis (eg per 100g/per serving).

The Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security

Members of the Coalition include Government Ministers and senior Government officials, representatives from the Planning Commission, academia, NGOs, national and international development partners, private sector and media representatives. The Coalition serves as a unique platform bringing together key stakeholders to advocate for improved nutrition policies and programs in India.

Dietary guidelines for Indians – a manual

The dietary guidelines were launched in 1998, with a revised version published in 2011. The guidelines are developed and written by the National Institute of Nutrition but are endorsed by the Ministry of Health.

GNPR 2016-17 (q7) Breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling

WHO Global Nutrition Policy Review 2016-2017 reported the evidence of breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling (q7)

Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes: National Implementation of the International Code Status Report 2016 (Promotion of Breastfeeding)

The 2016 report provides information on the status of implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent relevant World Health Assembly resolutions (“the Code”) in and by countries. The report also identifies in which countries they actively promote the benefits of breastfeeding.