Women dominate liquor shop licence bids, many act as syndicate fronts
HYDERABAD: The latest liquor shop licence allotment in Hyderabad and adjoining districts has revealed a sharp surge in women applicants, marking a first for the state’s excise auctions. Officials said women constituted nearly 20% of all applicants this year, a significant jump from previous rounds when only a few participated.
A senior official involved in the process said the sudden increase appeared “extraordinary” and noted that some applicants had filed dozens of forms. “One woman from Andhra Pradesh alone submitted over 100 applications in Rangareddy district,” the source added.
Syndicates use women as nominees
While the spike in women’s participation might suggest rising entrepreneurship, insiders claimed many applicants were fronts for liquor syndicates seeking to corner multiple shops. “Groups reportedly brought college students in buses to file nominations in bulk,” a source said, adding that several applications carried identical authorisation letters and addresses.
Under current excise rules, applicants are not required to appear in person and may authorise others to submit applications on their behalf. This provision, officials said, is being exploited by organised bidders who use proxies to bypass the one-person-one-licence norm.
Big money at stake in post-draw negotiations
The winners, announced through a draw late Tuesday, began paying their first instalments soon after results were declared. Sources said licences for shops in prime areas were being negotiated for ₹1–2 crore, reflecting the high stakes in the retail liquor trade.
