With wider choice, beer sales in Karnataka on a high

With several multinational companies opening distilleries in Karnataka, beer sales have increased by nearly 45 per cent in the state compared to last year, with summer accounting for a major share.

In the 2022-23 financial year, the Excise Department sold 390.66 lakh carton boxes (lcb) of beer compared to 268.83 lcb in 2021-22. The additional sale of 121.83 lcb of beer has brought in an additional Rs 800 crore revenues.

Barring 2019-20 and the Covid year, where beer sales saw a negative growth, the state has been witnessing a steady growth in beer sales. The department sold nearly 300.85 lcb of beer in 2018-19 compared to 265.77 lcb in 2017-18.

Also Read | Himachal Pradesh's Keylong panchayat bans beer at weddings, festivals

Joint Director (Statistics) K S Shivayya told DH customers have a wide choice as several MNCs have started supplying beer in Karnataka. “Karnataka’s taxes on beer are among the lowest. This is one of the reasons for high beer sales,” he said.

With rise in temperature, beer sales too surge. Between Jan and March 2023, 110 lcb of beer was sold compared to 84.74 lcb in the corresponding months of the last financial year.

Excise gives a high

Karnataka has mopped up a whopping Rs 29,790 crore through liquor sales, which is 93 per cent of the revised budget estimate and 102.7 per cent of the budget estimate. In the 2021-22 financial year, the excise department’s contribution to the state's revenue was Rs 26,377 crore. This financial year, the state government has set the department a daunting target of Rs 35,000 crore.