Beer guzzlers trigger spike in sales by 169% as Telangana sizzles

HYDERABAD: After a brief lull, beer sales in Telangana are on the upswing again. According to industry records, sales of the summer beverage increased by 169% between March and April this year, when compared to the same period in 2021. While March saw the numbers pick up by 74% with the sale of 5.22 crore bottles, the jump in April was even higher — 94% with sale of 5.99 crore bottles — compared to the same month last year.
The sales in March and April 2021 was 3.55 crore and 3.14 crore respectively.
Bar and restaurant owners who were struggling to find takers earlier attribute this sharp rise to the scorching heat and uninterrupted power supply in liquor stores that have helped keep refrigerators running and the beer to stay chilled.
“In the last few years, beer sales in the state had dropped for two reasons — the pandemic and technical issues like the lack of raw material. In comparison, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) did well,” said an industry source adding how the earnings of the excise department from beer have now improved substantially.
Meanwhile, according to recent market reports, India is one of the world’s fastest growing alcoholic beverage markets that is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR).of 6.8% between 2020 and 2023. During the pandemic year, the country’s market size was USD 52.5 billion. Nationally, Telangana is a major market with nearly 43% of the state’s population consuming alcohol — one of the highest in the country.