Bengaluru: While some states have permitted alcohol delivery at home, especially in urban areas, as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and increase sales dip the Indian foreign liquor (IMFL), Karnataka has opposed the idea.
Since the second half of 2020, the international spirit and the Indian wine association (ISWAI) have lobbied for alcohol delivery.
It has quoted conducted studies involving consumers and even quoting examples of other major countries such as Maharashtra, West Bengal and Assam, other than others, who have descended this route.
“However, in Karnataka and especially in Bengaluru, the IT-BT Capital of the Nation and Silicon Valley of India, the government has not considered this option.
We believe that allowing home delivery will help the hospitality sector that has suffered losses due to Covid-19,” said Nita Kapoor, CEO, Iswai.
The association said it continued to connect with the government and tried to convince strength which was the advantage of the idea.
However, Excise Minister K Gopalaiiah claimed no appeal like that had been made to him, also did not have such requests left to the ministry.
“The government is open to all constructive suggestions of the industry, but must be in a reasonable framework to ensure that people who depend on licenses of liquor do not lose their jobs,” Minister said.
Gopalaiiah, describing the fear that the department and the government, said that whatever decision to allow alcohol delivery can produce a large retail chain and those who have a deep bag dominating the market.
“This is the same logic that hurts the mother and pop shop when e-commerce enters,” Gopalaiiah said.
“If the home delivery system is put in place, then where small MRP shops will, purely dependent on sales in the store, go?” But Kapoor shows that the e-commerce market and the liquor market are completely different in the sense that one is a free market while others are controlled by the state.
“Unlike e-commerce where deep discounts have harmed small shops, the liquor market is controlled by the state government and cannot be manipulated,” Kapoor said.
Kapoor said the West Bengal Excise Ministry has introduced a model where the details of alcohol outlet contacts are registered in an area mounted on their website and customers can contact the nearest liquor store to send them to them.
Gopalaiiah implies the state does not have to use such size when he reveals that the Excise Ministry has collected Rs 20,800 Crore in income and is on the way to Achievin G RS 22,700 Crore targets set for fiscal.
However, the Excise Minister said he would discuss further reform with the Main Minister of Basavaraj Bommai before making decisions about implementation.
K’taka rejected the call to allow the delivery of liquor liquor
