PepsiCo India has been ordered to pay ₹8,000 in compensation and litigation costs in a consumer case involving a Lay’s chips packet.
The complainant, Chandraman Jalan, alleged that the packet contained only 4 grams of chips against the declared net weight of 15 grams.
The complaint was filed against both PepsiCo and retailer Metro Cash & Carry, but the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II in Jaipur, Rajasthan, dismissed the complaint against the retailer.
The company has been directed to refund the packet’s purchase price of ₹5, with 6% annual interest from April 6, 2022, the date the complaint was filed, until payment.
It must also pay ₹5,000 for mental harassment and ₹3,000 towards litigation expenses.
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Jalan purchased the packet from Metro Cash & Carry on November 10, 2020, and said the shortage amounted to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
The retailer argued that any shortfall could have arisen during manufacturing and that responsibility lay with the manufacturer.
The firm did not appear before the commission despite receiving notice, and the proceedings continued in its absence.
It has been given one month from the date of the order to pay the compensation and litigation costs, with interest at the statutory rate if payment is not made within that period.
The ruling is specific to this consumer complaint and does not establish that underweight packaging is a widespread issue across Lay’s products.
