UP liquor prices for at least 40 United Kingdom-origin Scotch whisky, gin and other foreign liquor brands are set to fall in key cities within a fortnight after the Uttar Pradesh excise department revised their maximum retail prices following the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, officials said.
The department reviewed foreign brands and labels registered in the state to identify products affected by the trade agreement. The revision covers premium and luxury brands, with officials saying the updated prices will be reflected in retail outlets after the department completes the process.
Among the revised prices, a 750-ml bottle of Chivas Regal has been reduced from Rs 3,000 to Rs 2,710, while Glenlivet will cost Rs 3,300 instead of Rs 3,710. The price of Glenfiddich 18 has been revised from Rs 5,500 to Rs 5,070, and Hendrick’s Gin from Rs 3,760 to Rs 3,450. Royal Salute, also sold in a 750-ml bottle, will be priced at Rs 9,320, down from Rs 11,420.
The excise department said the review involved more than 1,200 registered labels. However, the number of unique foreign liquor brands available in Uttar Pradesh retail stores is expected to remain between 350 and 380. Officials said the larger registration count reflects differences in bottle sizes, packaging formats and product variants rather than the number of distinct brands.
“Due to presence of different bottle sizes (90 ml, 200 ml, 700 ml etc), pack formats (glass bottle, tetra packs, miniatures etc), variants (12 years, 15 years and 18 years etc), multiple labels of the same brand needs to be registered,” excise commissioner Adarsh Singh said.
Companies with a major presence in the state’s premium liquor segment include Diageo and Pernod Ricard, along with William Grant & Sons, Whyte & Mackay, Edrington, Beam Suntory and LVMH. The revised prices apply to brands imported into the country and sold through Uttar Pradesh’s regulated retail network.
The department is also putting in place a verification process to ensure that consumers receive the benefit of the lower import-linked costs. Bottle-in-origin licence holders will be required to submit their most recent bill of entry, showing the customs payment made when the consignment entered India through a seaport. Officials will compare it with the bill submitted before the trade agreement came into effect.
The comparison will be used to calculate the change in the overall value of each consignment. The department said a fixed formula is applied to the baseline value of a foreign liquor consignment to determine its final maximum retail price. Officials will use that calculation to check whether the revised price structure is being followed before the new MRPs reach retail shelves within the stated fortnightly timeframe.
