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Time of India
06-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Hike in liquor rates, bar licences: Going out for a drink to cost more in Gurgaon
Gurgaon: Going out to drink liquor, or to buy it, is set to get more expensive from next month in the city. Haryana govt this week released its new excise policy — this time till March 2027, instead of the typical fiscal year — substantially hiking annual fees for bars and restaurants along with base price of liquor. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The licence fee for bars at five-star hotels goes up from Rs 30 lakh (four quarters of a year) to Rs 85 lakh (seven quarters). At four-star hotels, this hike is from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 60 lakh. For standalone establishments, it will go up from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 45 lakh. Most types of liquor, from beer to whiskey, went up from Rs 50 to Rs 100 per bottle. For instance, the base price of mild and strong beer increased by Rs 54 per case. Canned beer went up Rs 60 per case, but draught beer's cost remains the same. A hike in import fees also prompted the state to increase brand and label registration fees for whisky and scotch by Rs 4 lakh, run by Rs 1.7 lakh, gin and vodka by 1 lakh, wine by Rs 20,000 and beer by Rs 2.5 lakh. Under the new policy, restaurants and bars will have to pay higher additional fees to operate beyond midnight – from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh to stay open till 2am, and from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh for every additional hour after that. Beyond the base price of liquor — assessment fee, permit fee and retail fee — have been increased too. Whisky will attract Rs 75 for every bulk litre (BL) as assessment fee, Rs 25 per BL as permit fee and Rs 20 per BL as retail fee. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) expressed concerns about the cumulative impact of Haryana's new excise policy on the hospitality sector. "The increase in bar licence fees, alongside sharp hikes in supply costs and extended-hour charges, significantly escalates the cost of doing business in Haryana. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now These changes not only put financial strain on thousands of restaurants, bars and hotels, but risk discouraging responsible, regulated consumption also. Globally, govts are encouraging consumption in monitored hospitality settings," said Rahul Singh, trustee, NRAI. He also said the restaurant and nightlife ecosystem is a major employer and contributes meaningfully to revenues and tourism. "We strongly urge the Haryana govt to engage in constructive dialogue with the industry to find a more balanced, sustainable framework — one that ensures revenue goals are met without stifling business or alienating consumers," he said, adding that the increase in prices came as a surprise to the industry. "The proposed hike in beer prices will be a sharp jolt for both consumers and the hospitality industry. While we understand the state's intent to align pricing with neighbouring regions and enhance revenue, the timing — coinciding with peak summer beer demand — is concerning," Singh, who is also founder and CEO of The Beer Cafe, said.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Summer product sales take a rain check as demand falls 15% in past week
Companies that make and sell summer staples such as soft drinks, beer and ice cream are rushing to adjust daily retail stocks across Indian cities, as unexpected and persistent summer rains have dampened sales. Some companies are also rescheduling factory production to avoid excess stock in trade channels, with demand falling 15-20%in the past week-contrary to earlier forecasts and expectations. Executives said they are moving away from predetermined stocking and instead adjusting inventories dynamically in response to local demand shifts to reduce the risk of overstocking. Some are also localising marketing campaigns in real time. "Unexpected summer showers are challenging traditional forecasting and operations," said Angelo George, chief executive of packaged water company Bisleri International. "We are enabling agile logistics and dynamic inventory management at plants near consumption centres." Rahul Singh, founder of the beer chain The Beer Cafe, said, "With sudden rains during peak summer, we are localising campaigns on-the-go and tweaking supplies dynamically due to unpredictable weather." For soft drinks, sales in North India-which have been growing in double digits this summer season-took a hit over the last five days. Sales had already been under pressure in the South and East. "Rains across the North, which is our most crucial summer market, dents sales on a daily basis significantly," a senior executive at one of Coca-Cola's largest franchise bottling partners said on condition of anonymity. The weather disruptions come at a time when many seasonal brands had ramped up advertising and stocking in retail stores and quick-commerce platforms, anticipating strong demand amid rising temperatures. Ice cream brands such as Amul, Havmor and Baskin Robbins have been advertising aggressively, while Hindustan Unilever recently introduced a new ice-cream brand, Dairy Factory, under its Kwality Walls franchise. On Saturday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted heavy rainfall and hailstorms across East and Central India, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Delhi-NCR over the coming week due to western disturbances and cyclonic circulations. Over the weekend, minimum temperatures in Delhi-NCR reduced by 8 degrees Celsius after heavy rains and storm on Friday morning. While summer product makers have been working to de-seasonalise demand through off-season consumer deals and promotions, the March-July window still accounts for over half of their annual sales. Executives said they remain hopeful that demand will normalise in April-June quarter, with hotter temperatures expected by next month. "We have said we will grow double digits in the year. And that is what we stick by, because each month is different and weather patterns completely change each month. Sometimes the rains are earlier, sometimes the rains are later," Ravi Jaipuria, chairman of PepsiCo's bottling partner Varun Beverages , said during an analysts' call last week.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Summer product sales take a rain check as demand falls 15% in past week
Companies that make and sell summer staples such as soft drinks, beer and ice cream are rushing to adjust daily retail stocks across Indian cities, as unexpected and persistent summer rains have dampened sales. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India much better equipped to target cross-border terror since Balakot India conducts maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform Pakistan shuts ports for Indian ships after New Delhi bans imports from Islamabad Some companies are also rescheduling factory production to avoid excess stock in trade channels, with demand falling 15-20%in the past week-contrary to earlier forecasts and expectations. Executives said they are moving away from predetermined stocking and instead adjusting inventories dynamically in response to local demand shifts to reduce the risk of overstocking. Some are also localising marketing campaigns in real time. "Unexpected summer showers are challenging traditional forecasting and operations," said Angelo George, chief executive of packaged water company Bisleri International. "We are enabling agile logistics and dynamic inventory management at plants near consumption centres." Rahul Singh, founder of the beer chain The Beer Cafe, said, "With sudden rains during peak summer, we are localising campaigns on-the-go and tweaking supplies dynamically due to unpredictable weather." For soft drinks, sales in North India-which have been growing in double digits this summer season-took a hit over the last five days. Sales had already been under pressure in the South and East. "Rains across the North, which is our most crucial summer market, dents sales on a daily basis significantly," a senior executive at one of Coca-Cola's largest franchise bottling partners said on condition of anonymity. The weather disruptions come at a time when many seasonal brands had ramped up advertising and stocking in retail stores and quick-commerce platforms, anticipating strong demand amid rising temperatures. Ice cream brands such as Amul, Havmor and Baskin Robbins have been advertising aggressively, while Hindustan Unilever recently introduced a new ice-cream brand, Dairy Factory, under its Kwality Walls franchise. On Saturday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted heavy rainfall and hailstorms across East and Central India, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Delhi-NCR over the coming week due to western disturbances and cyclonic circulations. Over the weekend, minimum temperatures in Delhi-NCR reduced by 8 degrees Celsius after heavy rains and storm on Friday morning. While summer product makers have been working to de-seasonalise demand through off-season consumer deals and promotions, the March-July window still accounts for over half of their annual sales. Executives said they remain hopeful that demand will normalise in April-June quarter, with hotter temperatures expected by next month. "We have said we will grow double digits in the year. And that is what we stick by, because each month is different and weather patterns completely change each month. Sometimes the rains are earlier, sometimes the rains are later," Ravi Jaipuria, chairman of PepsiCo's bottling partner Varun Beverages , said during an analysts' call last week.
