Diet Coke shortage: If you are unable to readily buy Diet Coke due to the shortage triggered by the Iran war, then you could perhaps pay an entry fee and just go to a ‘Diet Coke party’. And if you are lucky, you could even leave with as many as 50 Diet Coke cans. 

As they say, one person’s crisis is another’s opportunity. 

So, here’s what the crisis is: There is a crunch of aluminium cans and raw materials, which is a problem in India, since Coca-Cola sells Diet Coke only in cans in India. On top of that, the Bureau of Indian Standards made a BIS certification mandatory for aluminium cans that are used to package not just Diet Coke but other drinks as well. This order slowed down production and sourcing. 

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Now, the opportunity: Indian pubs and social media influencers have spotted a chance to profit from the scarcity, said a report in Reuters. You will need to pay a $10-16 (₹952-1,524) entry fee to attend one of these parties that offer access to Diet Coke along with music, alcohol, activity and themed T-shirt painting. 

At one such event in Mumbai, the entry tickets doubled as raffle entries, and two winners took away 50 cans each. A marketing executive told the news agency that they had a cocktail menu, which they called Coke-tail. The report said she was the first to throw a Diet Coke party in India, and plans to organise more. She also said the company reached out to see if more such events could be done. 

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The people pleaser

Rum-and-coke is a popular pairing in India. For the health-conscious, Coca-Cola has now been replaced with Diet Coke. Social media is replete with memes about the dire shortage. 

Broadway CEO Sankalp Kathuria said the retail chain is turning their space into a “full blown Diet Coke experience” and that a ₹999 ticket will give access to consumers to burgers, vintage art, custom T-shirt painting, and of course, Diet Coke. 
 

Published on: May 6, 2026 7:00 AM IST