Revant Himatsingka, the founder of Label Padhega India, is calling for stricter and more transparent food-packaging regulations across India.
The push for reform comes as consumers increasingly rely on front-of-pack claims that may not reflect the actual nutritional content of products. Himatsingka, known online as the “Food Pharmer,” argues that current oversight is insufficient to protect public health from deceptive marketing.
Himatsingka said that misleading labels are fooling millions of Indian consumers [1]. He believes the lack of transparency prevents people from making informed decisions about what they eat, a gap he seeks to close through his advocacy work.
The activist has faced pushback from the industry for his critiques. Himatsingka said that Dabur sent him a legal notice after he questioned the claims on one of their product labels [2]. This legal friction highlights the tension between independent nutritional scrutiny and corporate branding.
To maintain his credibility as a critic, Himatsingka emphasizes his financial independence from the industry. "I don’t accept collaborations or money from the food sector to promote or criticize companies," he said [1].
His campaign focuses on the discrepancy between marketing slogans and the ingredient lists found on the back of packaging. By urging the government to implement more rigorous standards, he aims to ensure that health claims are backed by verifiable data rather than marketing strategies.
“Misleading labels are fooling millions of Indian consumers.”
The conflict between the 'Food Pharmer' and established brands like Dabur reflects a growing global trend of consumer-led transparency movements. As digital platforms allow individual activists to scrutinize corporate claims in real-time, regulatory bodies in India face increasing pressure to modernize labeling laws to prevent deceptive marketing and protect public health.
