Delhi Debates: Lowering Legal Drinking Age for Beer

The Delhi government is considering lowering the legal drinking age for beer from 25 to 21 years as part of a new excise policy. A high-level committee is gathering feedback from stakeholders, including liquor manufacturers and retailers, though no final decision has been made, sources confirmed on Thursday.

Chaired by Public Works Department minister Parvesh Verma, the committee aims to align Delhi's drinking age with neighboring NCR cities like Gurgaon and Noida, where the legal age is 21. This disparity has reportedly resulted in loss of revenue as individuals under 25 purchase alcohol outside Delhi.

The policy also seeks to reduce public inconvenience by siting liquor stores away from residential areas and seeks to open more in malls and supermarkets. The Delhi government aims to boost its excise revenue from Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore annually by addressing these policy gaps and engaging both government and private sectors in liquor sales.

(With inputs from agencies.)