Where the spirit is freed

To increase demand, you have to make it easier to import or produce wine, as well as make it easier to sell the stuff

Seventy-two years after India gained independence from the British in 1947, wine consumption in the country is still hamstrung by outmoded rules and regulations. These make wines hugely expensive and largely unavailable. A single decent wine shop in Europe would have more wines at better prices than in any store in India.

It’s true that the easing of import restrictions on alcoholic beverages in 2001 paved the way for international wines, along with a flood of spirits and some beers, to become available in most states. However, the 150 per cent basic customs duty and additional excise duties at the state