THE PRINCIPAL COMMISSIONER OF CENTRAL TAX vs M/S. INOX AIR PRODUCTS LTD.

The Supreme Court addressed the interpretation of Section 4 of the Central Excise Act, 1944, particularly regarding the definition of 'transaction value' and its relationship with Section 3 of the Act. The Court held that the charges collected by manufacturers for containers and related services are to be included in the valuation for excise duty under Section 4. The matter was referred to a larger bench due to conflicting judgments in Union of India v. Bombay Tyre International Ltd. and Commissioner of Central Excise, Pondicherry v. Acer India Ltd.