With summer fast approaching, beer enthusiasts in the city are eagerly searching for their favorite chilled beer brands. However, it seems that many liquor vending outlets are unable to fulfill their demands, leaving them disappointed and empty-handed.
Despite consumer complaints in various parts of the city regarding missing popular beer brands from the shelves, officials in charge have refuted such claims. However, they have admitted that tenders have been placed by corporations to acquire refrigerators and chillers, which will soon be made available at the shops.
Over 550 stores across Delhi are engaged in retail liquor sales through four undertakings of the Delhi government – DSIIDC, DTTDC, DSCSC, and DCCWS – as per the current excise regime in the city.
There has been no official response from the corporations regarding the absence of refrigeration facilities at their respective liquor vending outlets.
An individual outside a liquor store near the DSIIDC office in Connaught Place expressed dissatisfaction over the unavailability of certain beer brands.
“They are offering brands whose names I am hearing for the first time. None of my two-three favourite ones is available,” he said.
Another customer from Laxmi Nagar has reported that the liquor shops in the area are not offering chilled beer for sale, which has left them disappointed.
“I used to pick up a couple of bottles and drink them after reaching home. Now, they are selling beer at room temperature,” he added.
The individuals operating the liquor stores acknowledged that they did not have refrigerators, resulting in a large number of customers, including numerous young individuals, leaving empty-handed.
According to a high-ranking official from the excise department, the grievances regarding the absence of certain beer brands in the stores are common, and there have been no particular complaints of any specific brand being unavailable.
Nonetheless, he affirmed that tenders have been issued by the corporations to procure refrigerators, and they will soon be made available at the liquor stores.
Sources within the liquor industry reported that the residents of Delhi consumed 1.2 crore cases of beer in the previous year, with each case consisting of 24 bottles or cans.
Vinod Giri, who serves as the Director General of the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies, stated that the individuals residing in Delhi consume almost 15 crore beer bottles annually. He further mentioned that the demand for beer is concentrated during the three summer months, which make up around six crore bottles.
Listing various reasons for the scarcity of popular beer brands, Giri cited the absence of captive production units in Delhi and the dependence on suppliers situated in other states.
“In summers, when supply is low, those states force the companies to cater first to the local demand to protect their taxes. Also, company margins are low in Delhi and during short availability, the companies tend to direct supplies to the more profitable markets,” he said.
Giri explained that the limited storage space of the liquor shops in Delhi and the low number of shops in the city naturally lead to a low overall stockholding. He also mentioned that some companies are reluctant to supply to government-owned shops due to compliance-related issues. Nevertheless, Giri clarified that presently, all liquor stores in Delhi are owned by the government.
Furthermore, Giri asserted that a significant portion of the problems were associated with the excise policy itself, and unless the policy is rectified, it is probable that these problems will persist.
He added that there are other challenges that originate from other states, and the Delhi government has limited control over them.