As the New Year approaches, the anticipation is marked by enthusiastic celebrations worldwide, including India. New Year festivities often involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages, a trend observed across many states in India.
In the welcoming of 2023, Rajasthan emerged as the leader in alcohol consumption, setting a record for New Year’s alcohol sales. The state recorded a staggering Rs 111 crores worth of alcohol sales. Jaipur, the capital, contributed significantly to this figure, with Rs 11 crores worth of alcohol sold during the two-day celebration, making for a remarkable start to the year 2023. Delhi also witnessed substantial alcohol sales, totalling Rs 9 crores on December 31, 2022. Comparatively, the Excise Department’s report highlighted that Rajasthan had similarly recorded Rs 111 crores worth of alcohol sales on December 30-31, 2021.
Breaking down the alcohol sales in Rajasthan, approximately Rs 87.82 crores were from English liquor, Rs 35.26 crores from imported alcohol, and Rs 19.95 crores from beer. The remaining figures were attributed to desi (local) alcohol. A 2020 survey revealed that Chhattisgarh held the top spot for alcohol consumption, with approximately 35.6% of the population regularly consuming alcohol. Tripura and Andhra Pradesh secured the second and third positions, with 34.7% and 34.5% of the population engaging in regular alcohol consumption, respectively.
Rajasthan is witnessing a growing trend of celebrating festivals with alcohol, evident in the record-breaking alcohol sales during the New Year in 2023. Similar trends were observed during the Holi festival, where the state saw Rs 113.25 crores worth of alcohol consumed. The celebration of festivals with alcohol has become a notable trend in Rajasthan.
