New Delhi: Food aggregators Zomato and Swiggy as well as e-retailer BigBasket are set to deliver alcohol to your doorstep soon after governments in some metros and other key cities reportedly decided to initiate pilot projects for home delivery of alcohol.
States set to allow home delivery of alcohol
The following states are set to pilot alcohol home delivery:
Delhi
Haryana
Punjab
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Goa
Kerala
Currently, home delivery of alcohol is allowed in West Bengal and Odisha.
Types of alcohol that may be delivered
The governments in the above state are likely to allow the delivery of:
Beer
Wine
Liqeurs
Why alcohol home delivery may be allowed
The home delivery of alcohol is likely to receive the government’s nod in the respective states mentioned earlier with an eye on catering to the sizeable expatriate population in these states, the ET reported.
Since expatriates are known to enjoy a drink with their meals on a regular basis, this provision is likely to tap that demographic while adding to the state’s excise kitty by piggybacking on the extensive delivery network put in place by the e-commerce companies mentioned earlier.
Another key demographic that is expected to benefit from this provision is women, students and senior citizens, cutting down on the need to visit public alcohol vends while exercising the convenience of consuming liquor in the comfort of their homes.
Regulatory advantages
Since online platforms have in-built monitoring mechanisms, it is easier to determine the age and eligibility of the end-consumer of alcohol via online delivery, the BT reported citing Swiggy executive Dinker Vashisht. These platforms are also expected to streamline delivery while keeping dry days in mind.
Covid-19 legacy
With a countrywide lockdown announced during the COVID-19 pandemic, a few states in India allowed the home delivery of alcohol while ensuring social distancing. These states included:
Maharashtra
Jharkhand
Chhattisgarh
Assam
West Bengal
Odisha
E-commerce companies such as Zomato, Swiggy, and BigBasket are reportedly set to expand their offerings to the home delivery of alcohol, pending government nod in certain states. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
