India is advancing a proposal to restrict shops within 50 metres of its 1.5 million schools from selling or advertising high-fat, salt and sugar foods to schoolchildren. No start date is set; regulators are accepting public comments until October 6.
Maharashtra has adopted a stricter approach: its food safety commissioner says no shop within 50 metres of a school may stock the products. Inspectors have found violations at 133 shops and ordered 51 to discontinue business. In Bhubaneswar, a dozen shopkeepers said sales could fall by a third or more; a trade group argued in a draft submission that the federal proposal would be difficult to enforce in crowded markets and could hurt livelihoods.
World Obesity Federation data show the number of Indian children aged 5–19 classified as overweight or obese rose from 28 million in 2015 to 41 million in 2025, and is projected to reach 56 million by 2040. Food safety authority chief Rajit Punhani said the plan aims to steer children away from unhealthy habits and encourage companies to reformulate recipes.
