Diet Coke price increase in India
Coca-Cola has raised prices of canned Diet Coke in India by more than 10%, rolling out 330-milliliter cans priced at 50 Indian rupees in place of the standard 300-milliliter cans previously sold at 40 rupees (about 41 US cents). On a per-milliliter basis, the change works out to a 13.6% increase. Coca-Cola has not publicly announced the pricing change, and the company did not respond to multiple requests for comment from news organizations reporting on the move.
Aluminum can supply disruption from the Middle East
The price adjustment stems from supply-chain disruption tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for aluminum cans and related raw materials travelling to India, has effectively closed again, with commercial traffic heavily disrupted following the collapse of an interim truce in the Iran conflict. There are concerns that the disruption could widen further to block additional sea routes, extending pressure on Indian imports of packaged beverage inputs.
Shift to Southeast Asian sourcing
To manage tight supplies of its regular smaller cans, Coca-Cola has begun procuring pricier, larger-sized cans from Southeast Asia. The switch to imported 330-milliliter packaging, together with higher logistics costs, accounts for the effective price increase in the Indian market. Two people familiar with the matter said the sourcing decision was made to absorb higher costs while keeping Diet Coke on shelves; the strategy has not been disclosed publicly.
India market exposure and packaging
India is one of the few markets where Diet Coke is sold predominantly in aluminum cans, making the product more vulnerable to can-supply disruptions than most of Coca-Cola's other beverages. Most Coca-Cola and PepsiCo drinks sold in India are also available in plastic and glass bottles, and Coke Zero supplies have not been affected because the no-calorie variant is sold in multiple packaging formats. At least one Coca-Cola bottler has begun offering Diet Coke in 200-milliliter glass bottles for a limited period, though those bottles carry a higher price than the canned version, according to online retail listings.
Demand context and outlook
Earlier shortages triggered by the aluminum can squeeze produced an unusual wave of "Diet Coke parties" in India, with pubs and social media influencers charging entry fees of roughly $10 to $16 for access to the drink alongside music and alcohol. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo both count India as a major growth market. The latest move illustrates how the Middle East conflict continues to force global consumer-goods companies to rework sourcing and pass higher costs on to consumers in key emerging markets.
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