BENGALURU: It’s the season to clink beer bottles, and the reasons are many, from the warm weather to the holiday season. Excise department officials say there has been a rise in beer sales compared to last year.
There is a 5.55% rise in overall liquor sales for the financial year 2024-25, compared to the last fiscal. Excise department records show a Rs 921.90 crore rise in liquor sales from April to September. “There has been a drastic rise in beer sales and a decline in sale of Indian Made Liquor (IML). Compared to the previous year, there has been a 14.90% rise in beer sales and 2% decline in sale of IML. In the past six months, beer sales have shot up, showing 15% growth. This is due to multiple factors including weather, cost, holidays and others,” a senior excise department official told The New Indian Express.
However, the official said the drop in IML sales is due to the price hike on premium and semi-premium brands two months ago, low production, and stocks.
According to excise officials, IML sales from April-September in 2023-24 was 352.82 lakh carton boxes and for the same period in 2024-25, it was 345.76 lakh carton boxes. Similarly, the sale of beer from April-September in 2023-24 was 211.25 lakh CBs, and for the same period in 2024-25, sales touched 242.73 lakh CBs. “Revenue collected from liquor sales from April-September 2023 was Rs 16,611.11 crore, while for the same period this year, it has been Rs 17,533.01 crore, marking a Rs 921.90 crore or 5.55% rise,” the official said.
During the last fiscal year, 48.15% of the target sales was achieved, and this year, 45.51% of target sales have been achieved. The cumulative growth in April 2024 has been 28.84%, and the difference compared to April 2023 has been 11.13%. Similarly, in May, cumulative growth was 30.63% and the difference compared to May 2023 was 23.55%. In September, cumulative growth has been 14.90% and the difference compared to September 2023 has been 31.48%, in the sale of CBs. Comparing month-on-month growth, for September 2023, 31.27 lakh CBs were sold, while in September 2024, 34.82 lakh CBs were sold, marking an 11.35% rise.