Delhi excise policy suggests price, outstation sale norm for liquor sale

The Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22 has recommended price and outstation sale oriented criteria for registration of different brands of liquor in the national capital to promote startups in the industry.

The new criteria will now depend on a liquor brand's pricing and its sales figures outside the national capital.

An official of the excise department said the move is likely to promote new brands and startups in the industry.

According to the excise policy, whiskey brands have been divided into five categories depending on their price. For a whiskey brand priced at Rs 401 or above per quarter, no sales figures (outside Delhi) are required.

However, the policy said that an international whisky brand being bottled in India and with retail price up to Rs 600 per quarts, shall be registered only if it has sold over 5 lakh cases worldwide, in any of the two preceding financial year that is, 2019-20 or 2020-21.

Brands selling whiskey at a lower price also need to meet the sale-eligibility criterion.

Economy brand with retail price up to Rs 140 per quarts, shall be allowed registration in Delhi only if the brand has sold a minimum of 80,000 cases in any of the two preceding financial years, that is, 2019-20 or 2020-21, excluding Delhi.

Brands with retail price between Rs 141 and Rs 2,501 per quarts, shall be allowed registration in the National Capital Territory of Delhi only if these brands have sold a minimum of 1,20,000 cases all over India, including Delhi, in any of the two preceding financial years, the policy document stated.

It also said that brands with retail price between Rs 251 and Rs 400 per quarts shall be allowed registration only if the brands have sold a minimum of 60,000 cases all over India.

For brandy, vodka, gin and mixed alcoholic beverages brands with less than 8 per cent alcoholic strength, no sale limit is prescribed, the policy said.

For Rum brands with the retail price above Rs 250 per quarts, no sale limit has been prescribed. A Rum brand with retail price up to Rs 120 per quarts shall be registered only if it has sold 50,000 cases all over India, including the NCT of Delhi, in any of the two preceding financial years i.e. 2019-20 or 2022.

A Rum brand with the retail price between Rs 121 and Rs 250 per quarts shall be registered only if it has sold 60,000 cases all over India, including Delhi, in any of the two preceding financial years, the policy said.

In case of beer, the sales figures criteria is not required if it is priced above Rs 100 per quarts bottle (650 ml) in Delhi.

For lower priced beer brands, the registration criteria includes a sales figure of 1.5 lakh all over India if it has alcohol strength up to 5 per cent. If it is strong beer with alcohol strength above 5 per cent and priced up to Rs 100 per quarts bottle (650ml), the sale figure criteria is 3.5 lakh across the country for registration in Delhi.

For Diet Beer brands, no sale limit has been prescribed. Diet Beer should have alcoholic strength below 5 per cent and caloric value less than 31 g per 100 ml, the policy document added.