Delhi's new excise policy recommends sale norms for liquor brands

The Delhi government's new excise policy 2021-22 has recommended price and outstation sale oriented criteria for registration of different brands of liquor in the national capital to promote startups.

The policy has also divided almost all brands of liquors - Rum, Whiskey, Beer, Vodka, Wine into different categories which will be dependent on a particular brand's pricing and its sales figures outside the national capital.

Whiskey:

Under its new policy, the excise department has divided - 'Whiskey' into five categories depending on their price, according to which, brands priced at Rs 401 or above per quarter, no sales figures (outside Delhi) are required.

However, the policy said that an international Whiskey brand being bottled in India and with retail price up to Rs 600 per quart (200 ml), 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.

Economy brand with retail price up to Rs 140 per quart, 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 quart, 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 quart shall be allowed registration only if the it has sold a minimum of 60,000 cases all over India.

Rum


Under the new policy, the Delhi Government has divided 'Rum' into three categories:

A Rum brand with retail price up to Rs 120 per quart will be registered only if it has sold 50,000 cases across the country, including Delhi in 2019-2020 or 2020-2021.

It said that brands will also qualify for registration, if the above minimum requirement of cases sold is fulfilled at any time during the financial year 2021-22.


While, a Rum brand priced between Rs 121 to Rs 250 per quart will be registered only if it has sold 60,000 cases.

However, for Rum brands with the retail price above Rs 250 per quart, no sale limit has been prescribed.

Beer


In its new excise scheme in the national capital, the Delhi government has divided Beer brands on the basis of the alcoholic content and MRP up to Rs 100 per bottle. They will be registered only if it has sold 3,50,000 bottles all over India, including the Delhi-NCR in the financial year, 2019-2020 or 2020-2021.

Similarly, Beer brands with alcoholic strength above or below 5 per cent with MRP of above Rs 100 per bottle (650 ML), no sale limit has been prescribed.

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 gram per 100 ml," Delhi government's documents related to new excise policy stated.

It further stated that any international Beer brand, including mild beer will be registered only if it has sold over 5,00,000 cases worldwide in any of the two preceding financial years, 2019-2020 or 2020-2021.

For lower priced beer brands, the registration criteria includes a sales figure of 1.5 lakh all over India if it has alcoholic 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 quart bottle (650 ml), the sale figure criteria is 3.5 lakh across the country for registration in Delhi.

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.-IANS