More than a fifth of alcohol produced in the world is consumed by Indians. The Lancet magazine points out that two-thirds of alcohol consumed in India is unrecorded, mainly illicit. In 2015, liquor consumption is pegged to touch about 20 billion litres. The total value of spirits, wine and beer consumed in India is projected to be in the neighborhood of Rs. 1.5 lakh crore in 2015.

It is now official. The Excise policy of the AP government to regulate liquor trade and manage the liquor retail trade has been finally put into action. On the lines of  Tamil Nadu and Delhi, the Andhra Pradesh Government will take over the liquor business from the next Excise Year starting July 1. The licenses of 4,371 liquor outlets in AP that will end on June 30 are not being renewed or  freshly auctioned.

Government sources say that the move is to break the financial strength of the Congress and the YSRCP whose cadres and leaders are involved  neck deep in liquor trade. Besides  eliminating the liquor syndicates, the  AP government also aims to  break the vice grip of Congress in several coastal districts and Rayalaseema.

The state government is expecting revenue to the tune of Rs 13,000 crores from the sale of liquor this year while it earned revenue worth Rs 10,600 crores last year. The AP Beverages Corporation will supply liquor directly to the state-run outlets.The per capita consumption of liquor in AP is  2.5 pegs per day while it is four pegs in Tamil Nadu. However the coastal and Rayalaseema regions are popular for huge beer sales .

Source: THI