92 companies apply for permission to sell 604 new liquor brands in Telangana
Hyderabad: In Telangana, 92 liquor supply companies have submitted applications to the Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited (TSBCL) seeking permission to sell 604 new liquor brands.
TSBCL had invited applications for both domestic and foreign liquor brands. Of the total applications, 45 established companies have requested approval for 218 new Indian liquor brands. Meanwhile, 47 new companies have applied for 386 foreign liquor brands.
The government’s new guidelines for introducing new liquor brands were announced in a notification issued by TSBCL on February 23, with the original deadline set for March 15. However, several companies asked for an extension, citing difficulties in meeting the new documentation requirements. In response, the Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise, C. Hari Kiran, extended the deadline until April 2.
After the extended deadline, authorities confirmed that applications had been submitted for 331 new Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brands and 273 foreign liquor brands. The government will now review these applications before granting approval for the new brands, following the necessary procedures.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Prohibition and Excise Department has reported a revenue of ₹34,600 crore for the 2024-25 financial year, a slight decrease from ₹34,800 crore in 2023-24. However, liquor sales saw a 7% increase when excluding revenue from new liquor shop licenses.
In 2023-24, the department generated ₹264.50 crore from new liquor shop licenses. Excluding this, liquor sales in 2024-25 showed a 7% growth.
The Excise Department’s tax revenue for the year was ₹7,000 crore. Beer sales decreased by 3%, from 54.8 million cases in 2023-24 to 53.1 million cases in 2024-25. This decline was attributed to a 15-day supply halt by beer companies and an increase in beer prices.
On the other hand, liquor sales increased by 2%, with 36.9 million cases sold in 2024-25, up from 36.2 million cases in the previous year.
Telangana has seen a steady rise in liquor sales over the past several years. In the 2022-23 financial year, liquor sales totaled ₹35,145 crore, up from ₹30,783 crore in 2021-22 and ₹27,288 crore in 2020-21. Sales were ₹35,145 crore in 2019-20, ₹20,859 crore in 2018-19, ₹17,594 crore in 2017-18, ₹14,184 crore in 2016-17, and ₹12,706 crore in 2015-16.
