The Chair on Consumer Law and Practice, NLSIU and the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is organising an online panel discussion on ‘Clicks, Claims and Calories: Food Advertising in a Digital First India ’.

Date and Time: May 22, 2026 from 5 pm to 6.30 pm.

Mode: Online (Register here)

Panellists 

• Suchana Mukherjee Gupta, General Counsel and Director for Corporate Secretary, Regulatory, and Public Affairs at Danone India
• Saheli Sinha, Director Operations, The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)
• Dr Sesikeran Boindala, Former Director, ICMR – National Institute of Nutrition

Moderator 

Dr. Sudhanshu Kumar, Associate Professor, NLSIU

About the Session

Food regulation in India is no longer confined to safety and standards. Increasingly, it is about how food is represented, marketed, endorsed, platformed and consumed. In a digital economy shaped by influencer cultures and platform intermediation, advertising has become central to the construction of consumer preferences and dietary behaviour. This transformation is particularly visible in the context of – Ultra-processed and HFSS foods; Influencer-driven marketing ecosystems; Health and immunity claims; Child-directed advertising; Digital food delivery platforms; Algorithmic targeting and behavioural nudges. Food brands increasingly market through Instagram influencers; YouTube content creators; affiliate marketing; dark patterns and targeted advertising.

The regulatory ecosystem is fragmented across Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI); Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI); Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA); Consumer Protection Act, 2019; Cable Television Networks Rules; IT Rules and intermediary obligations. And the legal questions are no longer merely about misbranding; they concern commercial speech, proportionality, platform liability, and regulatory overlap.

Against this backdrop, the webinar will examine the emerging challenges at the intersection of influencer marketing, digital platforms and disclosure norms in the food sector. It will focus in particular on the effectiveness of existing self-regulatory frameworks, the adequacy of disclosure obligations imposed on influencers and the evolving role of platforms as intermediaries in shaping and disseminating food advertising.

For more information or queries, please contact Dr. Sudhanshu Kumar/Ms. Meenakshi Ramkumar by writing to .