Delhi’s Excise Revenue Collection Jumped 5-Fold In Two Decades: RTI Reply
Delhi’s Excise Revenue Collection Jumped 5-Fold In Two Decades: RTI Reply Reported By, Last Updated: May 26, 2026, 18:26 IST The data from the Excise
Delhi’s Excise Revenue Collection Jumped 5-Fold In Two Decades: RTI Reply Reported By, Last Updated: May 26, 2026, 18:26 IST The data from the Excise Department shows that between 2006-07 and 2014-15, Delhi reported fast growth in alcohol-linked revenue – a three-fold jump to Rs 3,422 crore Rapid Read Karnataka plans to revamp liquor tax rules Delhi’s excise collections crossed Rs 6,300 crore in 2025-26, a five-fold jump from Rs 1,133 crore in 2006-07, according to the information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The data from the Excise Department shows that between 2006-07 and 2014-15, Delhi reported fast growth in alcohol-linked revenue – a three-fold jump to Rs 3,422 crore. The RTI reply listed the figures under Major Head 0039, which covers state excise receipts linked largely to alcohol and liquor duties. Delhi now earns over Rs 17 crore a day on average through excise collections, up from about Rs 3 crore in 2006-07. The long-term upward trend broke only twice — during the Covid-hit 2020-21 fiscal and again in 2023-24, the first full fiscal year after Delhi rolled back its controversial excise policy in 2022.
In 2020-21, when COVID-induced lockdown was in force, the revenue dropped by about 20% to Rs 4,108 crore from Rs 5,068 crore in 2019-20. The first visible impact of the policy rollback came in 2023-24 when the collections fell by about seven percent to Rs 5,164 crore from Rs 5,547 crore a year ago. In a partial reply to News18’s RTI, the department shared the year-wise and month-wise revenue collections till 2024-25. News18 learnt the 2025-26 figures from officials. The analysis of the data further shows that about 80% of Delhi’s annual excise revenue is already collected by January-end. This suggests that February and March contribute only about one-fifth of yearly collections. The RTI data suggests excise collections recovered quickly after the policy rollback, rising to Rs 5,701 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 6,300 crore in 2025-26 after a brief disruption following the rollback of the excise policy. THE EXCISE POLICY IMPACT The Delhi government implemented the new Excise Policy 2021–22 on November 17, 2021, allowing private vendors to open liquor stores across the city.
However, the policy was rolled back on August 31, 2022, following allegations of corruption and procedural irregularities that led to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. A CAG report later estimated losses of about Rs 2,002 crore to the exchequer. With the return of the old excise policy, only state-run vends were allowed, bringing down the operational liquor outlets to just 350 in September 2022, triggering a major disruption in alcohol availability. Even as Delhi currently operates fewer liquor outlets than its 2016-17 peak, excise revenue has continued to climb sharply. The data from the Excise Department also shows that the total number of liquor shops or vends in Delhi stood at 792 as of May 2026. There were 682 shops in 2012-13 that increased to 768 in 2014-15 and 879 in 2016-17, suggesting that revenue rose sharply even though current shop counts are below peak levels. At present, liquor sales in Delhi are carried out through shops controlled by Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (DSCSC), and Delhi Consumers’ Co-operative Wholesale Store Ltd (DCCWS).
The highest number of shops are under DTTDC (233) followed by DSIIDC (206), DSCSC (187) and DCCWS (166). The old excise policy has been extended till March 2027, while the government is working on a fresh policy. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 26, 2026, 18:26 IST News india Delhi’s Excise Revenue Collection Jumped 5-Fold In Two Decades: RTI Reply Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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