Walk into any store in India and the bottled water shelf looks deceptively simple. Rows of clear bottles, similar labels, prices that range from ten rupees to a few hundred. But underneath that visual uniformity sits a category that has quietly become one of the most regulated and most misunderstood in the country.
In 2024 and 2025, India's regulatory framework for bottled water evolved meaningfully. The standards that govern what goes into the bottle have not changed. What has changed is how those standards are now enforced. For most consumers, none of this is visible on the label. But it shapes everything that ends up in the bottle.
This is a guide to understanding what you are actually drinking, and what to look for the next time you reach for a bottle of water in India.
Packaged Drinking Water vs Natural Mineral Water: What's the Difference?
The first thing worth knowing is that not all bottled water is the same product. Indian regulation recognises two distinct categories, and the difference between them is significant.
Packaged Drinking Water (IS 14543) is water that has been processed, typically using reverse osmosis (RO) along with other purification technologies, before bottling. The water can come from any potable source, including municipal supplies or borewells. It is demineralised during processing and then re-fortified with minerals before being packaged.
Natural Mineral Water (BIS IS 13428) is drawn from a protected underground water reserve with a distinct natural mineral profile. It contains naturally occurring minerals that must remain stable from source to sip. The water cannot be subjected to treatments that alter its mineral composition. Only limited processes are permitted, and only for the purposes of safety and hygiene. The source itself must be protected from external contamination.
These are two genuinely different products. A bottle marked IS 14543 has been made in a treatment plant. A bottle marked BIS IS 13428 has been made by nature, with the brand simply protecting, bottling and distributing what the geology produces.
Aava belongs to the second category and has held BIS IS 13428 certification continuously since 2005, as Western India's first natural mineral water under this standard.
Has BIS Certification Been Removed for Bottled Water in India?
For nearly two decades, BIS certification was a mandatory prerequisite before a bottled water brand could obtain its FSSAI licence. In October 2024, that requirement was updated by Gazette notification. The mandatory BIS certification mark is no longer a prerequisite for new licensees.
What most coverage of this change has missed is what FSSAI did next. The food regulator has, on its own initiative, adopted the technical specifications that BIS used to enforce directly into its own regulatory framework. The standards for packaged drinking water now sit under Regulation 2.10.8, and the standards for natural mineral water sit under Regulation 2.10.7, of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations.
In simple terms, the technical floor that BIS set has not disappeared. It has been adopted by FSSAI and is now enforced directly through the food regulator. TDS limits, mineral content, microbiological parameters, source water testing, packaging integrity — all of these continue to apply.
At the same time, FSSAI classified packaged drinking water and natural mineral water as high-risk food categories. From 1 January 2026, a comprehensive Scheme of Testing has come into effect. Manufacturers are now subject to monthly microbiological testing, periodic chemical testing, source water verification, packaging conformity checks, and annual third-party audits. FSSAI itself has made clear that the removal of mandatory BIS certification does not dilute compliance expectations.
The shift, in essence, is from one-time certification to continuous compliance. The regulatory floor for bottled water in India has not dropped. It has evolved.
For Aava, this evolution is largely business as usual. Our internal testing protocol has, for two decades, operated well above the regulatory minimum. Every batch is tested hourly in our in-house BIS-grade laboratory for physical, chemical and microbiological parameters, with routine independent verification by NABL-accredited third-party laboratories. Over 1000 NABL test reports support our quality record to date. Source water is continuously monitored, packaging integrity is verified at every fill cycle, and the manufacturing facility is audit-ready at all times. Aava voluntarily continues to hold BIS IS 13428 certification alongside FSSAI compliance, because the same standards we have maintained internally since 2005 are now the standards FSSAI directly enforces.
Twenty years of continuous certification, hourly in-house testing, and over 1000 NABL reports is a credential most newer brands cannot claim.
What Does FSSAI Require Inside a Bottled Water in India?
The technical expectations for bottled water in India remain clear and substantive.
Under the standards for Packaged Drinking Water, the permissible total dissolved solids (TDS) range is 75 to 500 mg/l, with minimum levels prescribed for essential minerals including calcium and magnesium. In practice, this means brands using reverse osmosis to demineralise water are required to add essential minerals back in before bottling, in order to meet the prescribed minimum mineral content.
Natural mineral water sits in a separate, stricter category. The minerals must be naturally present, the mineral composition must remain stable, and the water cannot be subjected to treatments that alter its essential character.
In simpler terms, the regulation acknowledges what nutrition science has long argued: drinking water is meant to contribute meaningfully to your daily mineral intake as part of a healthy lifestyle, not be stripped of it.
How to Choose the Right Bottled Water in India: 5 Things to Check
Whether you are picking up a bottle at a store, ordering at a restaurant, or stocking your home, here is what is worth looking at.
The Certification: Look for BIS IS 13428 or IS 14543
A bottle of natural mineral water in India should reference BIS IS 13428. A bottle of packaged drinking water carries IS 14543. The certification tells you immediately which category you are buying into. Aava is certified under BIS IS 13428, voluntarily maintained since 2005.
The Source: Where Geology Meets Mineral Profile
A genuine natural mineral water will tell you where it comes from geologically, not just where it is bottled. Aava originates in the Aravalli Hills, one of the world's oldest mountain ranges and a geologically distinct source. If a brand cannot tell you the geological origin of its water, the answer is usually that it comes from a treatment line.
The Mineral Profile: Why Naturally Alkaline Matters
A genuinely mineral-rich natural water will be transparent about what is inside it. Aava is born alkaline at a natural pH of 8, with naturally occurring calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, silica and potassium. Several Indian natural mineral waters describe themselves as mildly alkaline, with pH levels closer to 7 or 7.5. Aava sits at a higher natural alkalinity, set entirely by its mineral composition.
The Processing: Less Is More
Reverse osmosis, ionisation and ozonisation are processing methods used in packaged drinking water production. They are not necessary for naturally clean, mineral-rich water from protected aquifers. The less processing required, the closer the water is to its natural state. Aava is bottled at source with zero water rejection, which means none of our water is wasted in the bottling process.
The Track Record: Twenty Years of Continuous Trust
A bottled water brand that has held its certification for two decades, continues to invest in voluntary NABL-accredited lab testing, third-party audits, and international quality recognition is signalling something a newer brand cannot. Aava is supported by over 1000 NABL laboratory reports, has won the Bottled Water World Award 2007 in New Mexico for packaging excellence, and was recognised with two gold stars at the Superior Taste Awards 2017 in Brussels by the International Taste and Quality Institute. Few Indian bottled water brands can speak to this combination of regulatory continuity, international recognition, and operational consistency.
Is Bottled Water Sustainable? The Environmental Cost of RO
The choices around bottled water are not only about what is inside the bottle. They are also about what happens around it.
Reverse osmosis is widely used in packaged drinking water production, and it comes at a meaningful environmental cost. Conventional RO can reject anywhere from two to three litres of water for every litre purified. In a country with growing water stress, that is a significant figure.
Aava is bottled at source with zero water rejection. Beyond bottling, we have recycled over 150 million bottles to date under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime, through a certified cloud recycler, in compliance with the Plastic Waste Management Rules. Choosing a more responsibly produced water is, in the long run, a choice for the larger ecosystem we all depend on.
Why Aava Is India's Pioneering Naturally Alkaline Mineral Water
For twenty years, Aava has done one thing. Bottled Western India's first naturally alkaline natural mineral water under BIS IS 13428, born alkaline at a natural pH of 8, with naturally occurring essential minerals, and zero water rejection in the bottling process.
We don't bottle water. We bottle trust, health and wellness.
The regulatory landscape around bottled water in India will continue to evolve. What does not change is what makes a bottle of water worth drinking. The source, the natural minerals, the certifications you can verify, and the brand standing behind every bottle.
The next time you reach for a bottle of water, you will know what to look for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is all bottled water safe to drink in India?
All bottled water sold in India must meet FSSAI safety standards covering microbiological purity, mineral content and packaging integrity. So yes, in principle it is safe. But safety and quality are not the same. Most packaged drinking water in India is RO-processed, meaning it is demineralised and then re-fortified with minerals before bottling. Naturally mineral-rich and born alkaline Aava is a different product entirely — the minerals are present from source, not added back in a factory.
Is Aava BIS and FSSAI certified?
Yes, on both. Aava has held BIS IS 13428 certification continuously since 2005 as Western India's first natural mineral water under this standard, and is fully FSSAI-licensed. The brand voluntarily maintains over 1000 NABL-accredited test reports and has earned international recognition including the Bottled Water World Award 2007 in New Mexico for packaging and two gold stars at the Superior Taste Awards 2017 in Brussels.
Why is natural mineral water more expensive than regular packaged water?
Aava is a natural mineral water (BIS IS 13428), most other brands are packaged drinking water (IS 14543). Packaged drinking water can be sourced from anywhere and purified through RO, ozonisation, UV radiation and other processes, which makes manufacturing, logistics and distribution far simpler. Natural mineral water like Aava is drawn from a single protected source, the water from pollution, and bottled with no alteration of its natural composition. This logistics makes natural mineral water like Aava inherently more expensive than packaged and purified alternatives.
What makes Aava different from other Indian natural mineral waters?
Most premium natural mineral water brands in India are drawn from the Himalayan ranges and are described as mildly alkaline at pH levels closer to 7 or 7.5. Aava originates in the Aravalli Hills, one of the world's oldest mountain ranges, and is naturally alkaline at a pH of 8, set entirely by its mineral composition. Aava has also held BIS IS 13428 certification continuously since 2005, is internationally awarded for both taste and packaging, and is bottled at source with zero water rejection.
What does "naturally alkaline" mean?
Water is alkaline when its pH is above 7. Naturally alkaline means that pH has been raised by minerals the water absorbed underground over time, not by a machine. Aava's natural pH of 8 comes from calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and silica present in the water from source. The benefits of naturally alkaline water come from these minerals, not from the pH number itself. Ionised alkaline water, made through electrolysis, lacks this natural mineral content and is a fundamentally different product.
Who serves Aava? Which hotels, airlines and institutions use Aava in India?
Aava has been the trusted natural mineral water choice for India's most discerning institutions for two decades. Aava is served across leading hospitality, aviation, retail and corporate clients including Adani Airports, Oberoi, Trident, Marriott, ITC, PVR, Reliance Brands, Tata Consultancy Services and Mercedes-Benz. As a premium naturally alkaline natural mineral water, sustainably bottled at source with zero water rejection, Aava sits naturally alongside the wellness, luxury and conscious-consumption values that define these clients and their guests.
Can I drink Aava every day?
Yes. Aava is a naturally alkaline natural mineral water with a balanced mineral profile that supports daily hydration as part of a healthy lifestyle. Unlike RO-processed packaged drinking water, which the World Health Organisation has cautioned against consuming long-term in demineralised form, Aava contains naturally occurring calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, silica and potassium present in the water from source. Its medium-mineralisation profile, natural pH of 8, and zero water rejection bottling make it suitable for regular daily consumption.
