Delhi extends existing excise regime for retail liquor for 2026-27

New Delhi: The Delhi government has extended the existing excise regime for a year in view of the pending work on a new liquor policy, officials said on Wednesday.

The excise department of the city government, in an order on Tuesday, extended the renewal and grant of new retail liquor licences for 2026-27 on the same terms and conditions of the existing policy.

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"The Competent Authority has granted approval for renewal and grant of new L-6, L-6FG, L-6FE, L-8, L-10, L-14, L-23, L-23F and L-30 licences for licensing year 2026-2027 on same terms and conditions as that of Excise year 2025-26 (continued from 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25)," the order read.

The branches concerned of the excise department will issue separate circulars for various retail licences related to the sale of Indian Manufactured Foreign Liquor (IMFL), foreign liquor, beer as well as country liquor, the officials said.

Last month, the excise licences for hotels, clubs and restaurants were extended by the excise department till March 2027 on the terms and conditions of the existing policy.

In June last year, the Delhi government extended the duty-based excise policy, which has been in effect from the licensing year 2022-23, for the 2025-26 fiscal.

Currently, there are around 725 retail liquor vends operated by four agencies of the government -- the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC), Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and Delhi Consumers' Cooperative Wholesale Stores (DCCWS).

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The existing policy has been continuing since 2023-24, when a reformative policy allowing private players in retail liquor sale was scrapped by the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in July 2022 amid allegations of irregularities.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta instructed officials last year to prepare a draft proposal of the new excise policy. The government aims to come up with a new policy that ensures the supply of quality liquor with transparency, the officials said.

A group of ministers formed for framing the new excise policy has submitted its recommendations to the government, which is yet to come up with a draft of the policy, they added.