Spanning 750 square feet, the newly established store offers a self-service, walk-in experience
The Delhi government’s excise department has licensed the Delhi Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Store to launch a retail liquor store in the arrival area of Terminal-3 at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. This is the first L-10 liquor store of its kind at the airport under the current excise regime.
The new store, spanning 750 square feet, offers a self-service, walk-in experience. Customers can independently choose from a wide range of national and international liquor brands registered with the excise department. Unlike other retail liquor shops in Delhi, which operate from 10 am to 10 pm, this store will be open 24/7.
Previously, only duty-free liquor stores serving international travellers operated at Terminal-3. The new store now provides domestic travellers and the airport’s large workforce with convenient access to a retail liquor outlet.
To assist customers, a comparative rate chart displaying liquor prices in different parts of the country will be shown on LED screens within the store. The store supports various payment methods, including UPI, credit cards and debit cards.
Under the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, six premium liquor shops were operational in the airport’s domestic terminals. However, these shops closed in September 2022 when the government withdrew the controversial excise policy amid investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.
Domestic passengers are permitted to carry up to five litres of alcoholic drinks with an alcohol content of less than 70 per cent across state borders. For beverages with an alcohol content of 24 per cent or less by volume, this five-litres limit does not apply.
The new retail liquor store at IGI Airport’s Terminal-3 is set to serve a wide range of customers, providing convenience and potentially reducing the illegal supply of liquor from neighbouring states. This initiative underscores the Delhi government’s efforts to enhance services and regulatory compliance at one of India’s busiest airports.
