Officials stated on Saturday that New Delhi established a record for pre-Diwali booze sales, selling nearly 3.87 crore bottles and generating Rs 447.62 crore in revenue for the excise department. This is an increase of 1.18 crore bottles over last year.
According to official data, in the 15 days running up to October 30, 3.87 crore bottles were sold from liquor stores owned by the Delhi government’s four corporations, including 2.98 crore bottles of Indian Made Foreign Drinking alcohol (IMFL) and 89.48 lakh beer bottles.
Diwali, celebrated on October 31, was declared as a ‘dry day,’ with liquor stores shuttered throughout the city.
According to the report, 33.80 lakh bottles were sold on Diwali’s eve, October 30, generating a revenue of Rs 61.56 crore. In the two weeks running up to Diwali this year, 1.18 crore more bottles were sold, up from 2.69 crore in 2023 to 3.87 crore this year.
Meanwhile, the excise agency recorded a significant rise in booze sales in the city, which experienced multiple setbacks due to the withdrawal of the 2021-22 liquor policy and related legal challenges. According to officials, the department collected Rs 3,047 crore in revenue in the first half of the current fiscal year (October 2024), representing a roughly 7% rise over the same time in 2023, when sales totaled Rs 2,849 crore.
According to a senior excise department official, the overall excise revenue, including VAT, for April to October 2024 increased to Rs 4,495 crore from Rs 4,188 crore the previous year.
The retail liquor industry in the national capital suffered a hit following the repeal of a new excise policy implemented by the Delhi government in July 2022. This ordinance enabled private operators to handle liquor stores throughout the city.