Over the past several years, India has moved steadily toward restricting single-use plastic, including plastic carry bags, at both the central and state level. For retail, food, and ecommerce businesses, this has made paper and other alternative packaging a practical necessity rather than just an eco-friendly preference.
Central and state-level rules both apply
India has central rules restricting certain single-use plastic items, alongside separate, and often stricter, state-level restrictions on plastic carry bags — thickness limits, outright bans in some states, and enforcement that varies by state and municipality. Because these rules differ by state and are updated periodically, there isn't one single national answer that applies everywhere.
Regulations and enforcement vary by state and change over time. Check your state pollution control board or municipal corporation for the current rules that apply to your business location before assuming a specific plastic packaging format is compliant.
Why paper bags are the common fallback
Paper carry bags aren't subject to the same thickness and single-use restrictions that apply to plastic, which is why retail, grocery, food takeaway, and ecommerce businesses across India have shifted toward paper bags and paper mailers as their default packaging — both to stay compliant and to meet customer expectations around sustainable packaging.
Planning your switch
If you're moving from plastic to paper packaging, the main variables are bag strength (paper weight/GSM), size, and whether you need custom branding. See our paper bags range or SOS bags range to compare options, or get in touch for a bulk quote.