The Delhi government is poised to revolutionize the way alcohol is sold in the capital with a comprehensive, technology-driven overhaul of its retail system. Senior officials have confirmed that a draft excise policy, ready for discussion with the Chief Minister, includes a proposal for a dedicated mobile application.
App to End the Hunt for Premium Brands
This proposed app is designed to be a one-stop solution for consumers, providing store-wise information on the real-time availability of liquor brands across the city. The primary goal is to save customers from the frustration of making repeated visits to multiple outlets in search of a particular brand. While the app will facilitate advance booking for certain brands, customers will still need to visit the store physically to collect their purchase. Officials state that this initiative aims to significantly improve transparency, convenience, and overall consumer satisfaction while reducing complaints about non-availability.
Data Analytics to Ensure Supply and Curb Malpractices
A significant focus of the new policy is on monitoring premium and high-end liquor brands. The government plans to actively track instances of their non-availability and use backend analytics from the app to identify patterns behind these shortages. By monitoring repeated consumer searches for specific brands, authorities will gain insights into genuine demand trends, enabling them to take corrective measures. This data-driven approach is intended to prevent artificial supply gaps created in the market.
Furthermore, the app will serve as a powerful regulatory tool. Authorities intend to analyse sales patterns and consumer search behaviour to monitor if liquor stores are pushing select brands to consumers for extra profit. This move is designed to discourage brand favouritism and prevent store-level manipulation that undermines fair competition among suppliers.
Rationalisation of Retail Infrastructure
On the ground, the policy emphasizes rationalisation over expansion. The government plans to fix a minimum distance between liquor shops in residential areas to address public concerns over the clustering of outlets. Importantly, the overall number of liquor stores in the state will not be increased from the current count of over 700 government-run outlets. Officials clarified that liquor retailing will continue to remain under government control, managed by the existing four state-run corporations. The emphasis is on achieving better distribution and management of existing outlets rather than opening new ones.
The draft excise policy, encapsulating these tech-forward and consumer-centric reforms, is now awaiting final discussions at the highest level before implementation.
