Dussehra rush pushes Telangana liquor sales to record ₹1,000 cr in 4 days

Telangana liquor sales surged ahead of Dussehra, with ₹260 crore on September 28, ₹279 crore on September 29, ₹301 crore on September 30 and ₹320 crore on October 1 lifted by shops

Liquor sales in Telangana have reached unprecedented levels as the state gears up for Dussehra. In just four days, from September 28 to October 1, liquor outlets lifted stocks worth over ₹1,000 crore from state government depots, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle.

 

The surge was partly driven by the festival coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, when liquor shops remain closed.

 

Excise department data highlights the spike in purchases: ₹260 crore worth of liquor was lifted on September 28, ₹279 crore on September 29, ₹301 crore on September 30, and ₹320 crore on October 1. Combined sales on September 30 and October 1 alone reached ₹620 crore, showing how sharply demand surged just before the festival.

 

 

This year’s sales already exceed last year’s figures. During the nine-day Dussehra festivities in 2023, total liquor sales stood at  ₹1,057 crore, but in 2025, the ₹1,000 crore milestone was crossed in only four days.   

 

Telangana liquor market

 

Since Telangana’s formation in 2014, liquor sales have grown steadily. In 2014-15, sales were ₹10,000 crore and were projected to reach ₹34,600 crore in 2024-25. Recent years have seen consistent growth: ₹35,145 crore in 2022-23, ₹30,783 crore in 2021-22, and ₹27,288 crore in 2020-21. Earlier, sales recorded ₹20,859 crore in 2018-19, ₹17,594 crore in 2017-18, ₹14,184 crore in 2016-17, and ₹12,706 crore in 2015-16.

 

South India dominates IMFL sales

 

South Indian states remain the leading market for indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), accounting for 58 per cent of national sales in FY25, according to the CIABC. The five southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, along with Puducherry, consumed 231.8 million cases of IMFL in FY25, news agency PTI reported.

 

Karnataka led with 68.8 million cases, contributing 17 per cent of national volumes, followed by Tamil Nadu at 64.7 million cases. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh accounted for around 9 per cent each, with 37.1 million and 35.5 million cases, respectively, while Kerala registered 22.9 million cases.   

 

  While the southern region reported overall growth of nearly 1 per cent, Puducherry saw a notable 10 per cent increase. Northern states contributed 20 per cent of national IMFL sales, with Uttar Pradesh leading at 25 million cases. Growth in the northern region was limited to 1 per cent overall.

 

In the western region, Maharashtra topped the chart with 27.1 million cases, contributing 58 per cent of regional sales, which grew 3 per cent overall. Eastern states accounted for 10 per cent of sales, led by West Bengal at 14.9 million cases.

 

Certain markets, however, reported declines. IMFL sales in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir fell by 20 per cent, and 15 per cent, respectively, while Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Puducherry registered 15 per cent, 13 per cent, and 10 per cent growth in FY25.