Diet Coke Out of Stock in India: Aluminium Can Shortage in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru Amid Iran War Disruption

Diet Coke shelves are turning empty in many large Indian cities as aluminium beverage can supplies dry up. The Iran war has disrupted key shipping routes, choking can imports and local availability. The shortage, which began in Mumbai, has now spread to Bengaluru, Pune and parts of Delhi-NCR, just when harsh summer heat is lifting cola and beer demand.

Diet Coke Shortage in India: Iran War Disrupts Supply

Retailers say they are struggling to keep up as remaining stocks vanish quickly from stores. "We are facing acute Diet Coke stock-outs since the weekend; if supplies do come, they are being immediately picked by consumers," said a leading grocery retailer in Delhi-NCR. Coca-Cola India did not respond to an email seeking comment on the situation.

Industry executives say Diet Coke is particularly hard hit because of the way the drink is sold. "While can shortages are impacting all soft drinks, the reason why Diet Coke is seeing shortage in particular is because of a combination of factors," said a leading bottling partner. "It is the fastest growing diet drink in the country by a significant margin."

Unlike Coke, Thums Up or rival Pepsi, which also come in PET and returnable glass bottles, Diet Coke is largely a cans-only product in India. The shortage of cans therefore hits Diet Coke harder than other fizzy drinks, even though the supply crunch spans the wider ready-to-drink market, including beer and other canned beverages.

India Turns to UAE, Sri Lanka for Aluminium Can Imports as Shortage Deepen

Companies are now turning to overseas suppliers to keep Diet Coke and other canned products flowing. Firms are importing aluminium cans from the UAE, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, which industry executives say are at least 25–30% more expensive. These regions normally provide about one-third of India’s aluminium can needs, thanks to their bigger and lower-cost manufacturing bases.

The strain is not limited to cans alone. "Supply constraints are worsening, especially for aluminium cans and LPG used in glass manufacturing furnaces, forcing some units to either operate at just one-fourth of their capacity or shut down temporarily," said a senior executive at a global beverage maker. Beer producers report similar pressure on packaging materials.

Domestic Can Production Lags; Costly Imports to Support Beverage Industry

Local can makers Ball Beverage Packaging and Canpack are unable to fully bridge the gap, according to industry insiders. Executives say they do not yet have enough aluminium beverage can capacity, and that setting up new production lines could need 10–12 months. Until then, dependence on costly imports is likely to continue for Diet Coke and other canned drinks.

Some manufacturers are reworking how they use their limited can stocks. Some companies are also redirecting supplies to more profitable markets and prioritising their limited can inventory for higher-margin products. That strategy may mean Diet Coke and other diet drinks receive fewer cans than regular offerings in some regions.

Strong consumer interest in low-sugar beverages is adding more stress to already tight supplies. Executives say sales of sugar-free or low-sugar soft drinks have doubled over the past year. For Diet Coke, which targets this segment, demand is now running ahead of what the restricted can supply can support, especially during the peak summer season.