3 hours ago
1
The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF), representing over 4.5 lakh Kirana retailers, has raised serious concerns over the increasing sale of cigarettes and tobacco products through quick commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart.
In an open letter, dated July 17, addressed to all tobacco and cigarette manufacturing companies, AICPDF said it is alarmed by "ongoing violations of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)" on these platforms.
The federation flagged several compliance breaches, including:
"Age verification protocols, enabling access to minors"
"Lack of statutory health warnings in listings and packaging"
"Promotional tactics that normalize tobacco"
"These violations not only undermine public health policy but expose your brands to severe legal and ethical scrutiny,” the letter stated.
Also Read:Zepto CEO alleges misinformation by competitor CFO, shares screenshots
AICPDF demanded that all cigarette and tobacco manufacturers:
1. “Immediately suspend supply of all tobacco products to quick commerce platforms until a robust compliance framework is enforced;”
2. “Ensure that all distributors, stockists, and retail partners are instructed to refrain from routing inventory to these platforms;”
3. “Take proactive steps to review and audit your sales channels for COTPA compliance and age-gated access.”
The federation warned that failure to act could result in escalated action. “Failure to act may compel us to escalate this matter to the Ministries of Health, Commerce, and Consumer Affairs, and call for a nationwide trade action against errant manufacturers and platforms,” it said.
AICPDF concluded by asserting its commitment to lawful and ethical product distribution. “We firmly believe that compliance with the law and protection of youth must take precedence over short-term commercial gains.”
English (US) ·