Festive liquor sales rise 13% in Delhi, over 3 crore bottles go off shelves

Liquor sales in the national capital increased 13 per cent year-on-year during the festive fortnight ending Diwali, mopping up around Rs 600 crore, officials said on Tuesday.

According to official data, 3.31 crore liquor bottles of different brands were sold this year, compared to 2.96 crore bottles in the fortnight leading up to Diwali in 2025.

The Excise department recorded a total sale of Rs 589.17 crore in the festive fortnight this year, compared to Rs 518.97 crore in the same period a year earlier.

Also, the department garnered over Rs 79 crore in liquor sales a day before Diwali, on November 7. The festival of lights was a dry day and all liquor stores were closed in the city, as per a previous order by the department.

The liquor sale on Diwali eve stood at Rs 79.25 crore this year with 40.45 lakh liquor bottles going off the shelves, compared to the sale of 34.70 lakh bottles worth Rs 63.40 crore on the same day a year ago, the data showed.

Liquor sales in Delhi during the two weeks preceding Diwali in 2026 witnessed a significant increase over the corresponding period in 2025, officials said.

The officials said that the sale figures are provisional and subject to reconciliation after final confirmation of data received from the four liquor corporations that conduct retail liquor sales through more than 700 vends across the city.

Revenue from liquor sales so far in 2026 has increased to Rs 792.52 crore from Rs 634.08 crore in 2025, registering a substantial 24.9 per cent growth, officials stated.

The retail trade of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), foreign liquor and beer is restricted to four Delhi government Corporations- DTTDC, DSIIDC, DSCSC and DCCWS.