NEW DELHI: Restaurateurs have said the Delhi government’s decision to reject the sales licences of French spirits major Pernod Ricard, Indospirits and Brindco has hurt their business as customers now prefer to visit neighbouring Gurugram and Noida for their drinks of choice.
They said that some of the premium brands of these firms have been unavailable in the national capital since September last year, when the excise policy for 2021-22 came under the scanner of investigation agencies and was scrapped. Their sales licences were cancelled last week.
Manpreet Singh, the treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said, “The decision has hurt the business of restaurants here. There are premium customers who demand these brands and since these brands are not available, that chunk of customers is not coming to restaurants.”
“The people of Delhi can easily drive down to Gurugram and Noida for having these brands. Also, since there was healthy competition between companies earlier, they would offer us concessions, but that too has ceased now,” he said.
Shabad Mehta, another restaurateur, said some of the labels of these brands are very popular. “We are paying all the taxes but due to the disturbance in the supply chain, our business is getting affected,” he added. Pernod Ricard is the world’s second-largest wine and spirits organisation and its portfolio comprises over 200 premium brands, including 100 Pipers, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, Absolut, Havana Club and Jacob’s Creek.
Pernod Ricard also owns Indian brands such as Blenders Pride and Royal Stag. Official sources had said that the decision to cancel the sales licences of these companies was taken on the ground of an ongoing investigation linked to the excise policy case. Vishal Prabhakar, the owner of Limitless and Sky High, said they have suffered a 40 per cent loss in business due to the cancellation of sales licences.