What is the background? And why has the government ordered a ban?
A senior official in the health ministry says that it is a question of public health. There is an act in place for tobacco (Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act, 1992), but not for alcohol. And by surrogate advertising, people are constantly reminded of the mother brand. To quote from the health ministers letter, Considering the ill effects of cigarettes, alcohol and other intoxicants, the government has banned advertisements of these products in the media. As a reaction, the liquor and tobacco majors have sought other ways of advertising their products. They have introduced various other products with the same brand name and are carrying out heavy advertising so that consumers do not forget their liquor brands. In 2000, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) had sent a recommendation to the government about surrogate advertising. No one raised any questions for a while. In 2002, broadcasting industry sources revealed plans to put in place measures for self-regulation and monitoring,
