Consumption of foreign liquor has gone down in the national Capital as more people now prefer Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFl). Figures collected by the Excise Department of the City Government have found that people now prefer IMFl in place of foreign liquor brands as the same are quite expensive.
The another reason was cited that Capital’s residents were at a disadvantage as the price of foreign liquor in Delhi was much more higher as compared to neighbouring State Haryana. In other words, sale of foreign liquor in Delhi has been less as compared to IMFl. The Delhi Government’s new excise policy is ready, waiting for Cabinet approval.
Officials say the IMFl brands are giving a tough competition to their foreign competitors in the national Capital. If the sale of foreign liquor is any indication, the number of bottles sold in 2014-15 went down by about two lakh in comparison to the previous financial year. On the contrary, the number of Indian Made Foreign liquor cases sold during this period was 10 lakh more than the previous year. Each case carries 12 liquor bottles. Statistics show that about 33 lakh foreign liquor bottles were sold in Delhi in 2014-15. But the number of foreign liquor bottles sold in 2013-14 was about 35 lakh. While the sale of foreign liquor has gone down, the revenue generated by the City Government’s Excise Depart-ment went up from Rs97 crore in 2013-14 to Rs106 crore in 2014-2015. Foreign liquor is mostly sold in five-star hotels, pubs and restobars across the city.
According to Excise officials, the investigation into the decline of foreign liquor revealed that Capital’s residents were at a disadvantage as the price of foreign liquor in Delhi was much more than in Haryana.
“Pubs and vends in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonepat were attracting customers and business at the cost of Delhi outlets,” said an official. last month, the Haryana Government has announced its new excise policy and increased excise duty on foreign liquor from April. Now the prices of foreign liquor are almost same in both Delhi and Haryana. “Foreign alcohol lovers may now not want to travel to the neighbouring States to save money as the prices in Delhi and Haryana would become almost the same from April,” he said.
The number of cases of the IMFl brands sold in the city in 2013-14 was 1.11 crore. But the number of cases of the IMFl brands sold in 2014-15 went up to 1.21 crore. Even the revenue generated by the Excise Department went up from Rs1,981 crore to Rs2,253 crore in 2014-15. What came as a surprise to many was the fact that there has been a significant drop in the sale of beer bottles. “About 1.10 crore beer cases were sold in 2013-14. But the number of beer cases sold in 2014-15 went down to 1.06 crore. But the revenue generated through sale of beer went up from Rs503 crore to Rs611 crore in 2014-15.”
A pub owner in South Delhi on condition of anonymity said that sale of foreign liquor has dipped in the past six months. “People now prefer IMFl. Generally youngsters prefer Indian brands as they are cost-effective. But there are many customers who prefer only foreign brands. As far as beer is concerned, the number of customers who opt for foreign brands is almost same to those who go for Indian brands,” he said.