AHMEDABAD: Dry state Gujarat recorded a sharp rise in liquor sales at GIFT City, with the reported volume increasing 1,424% in a year and crossing 56,638 litres in 2025-26. The figures were presented in the state Assembly on Thursday in response to a question by Jamalpur-Khadia MLA Imran Yusufbhai Khedawala, who sought details of liquor sold at GIFT City and the revenue generated during the two years up to July 31, 2026.
Gujarat has maintained prohibition since 1960, but GIFT City in Gandhinagar was allowed regulated “Wine and Dine” facilities under specified terms and conditions. According to the Assembly data, 3,716.28 litres of liquor were sold between August 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025. Sales then rose to 56,638.19 litres between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026.
The total reported volume over the two years was 60,354.47 litres. The increase in one year was 52,921.91 litres, taking sales in 2025-26 to about 15.24 times the previous year’s level. About 93.8% of the two-year reported volume was sold in 2025-26, compared with 6.2% in 2024-25.
The government reported revenue of Rs 87,39,184 from the facility during the period covered by the Assembly response. Based on the total volume, this works out to about Rs 144.77 per litre.
However, the figure cannot be treated as the retail price or a per-litre tax rate because the data does not provide a component-wise breakup of taxes, duties, licence fees or other government receipts.
The Assembly figures do not show what caused the sharp increase. They provide no details on the number of operating establishments, permits issued, consumers, monthly sales, liquor categories or month-wise revenue.
Therefore, the data alone cannot establish whether the rise resulted from more establishments, higher footfall, greater consumption per customer, changes in operations or other factors.
The figures assume significance against the backdrop of Gujarat’s prohibition policy and the recent Bhavnagar spurious liquor tragedy.