Alcohol Companies Are the Unlikely Victims of India’s Farm Waiver

(Bloomberg) -- A spate of political promises of waivers on farm-loan repayments in Indian states has an unlikely victim: alcohol companies.

States are expected to hike taxes on liquor -- one of the top three revenue sources -- as they need to plug the fiscal hole arising from bearing the burden of farm-loan repayments. Any rise in tax will impact alcohol demand as companies will have to pass the additional levy to consumers, according to Edelweiss Securities Ltd.

Farm waivers are on the agenda of all political parties as Prime Minister Narendra Modi struggles to alleviate agrarian distress ahead of a national election around May. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party was voted out in three key states last month by the Indian National Congress -- the main national opposition -- which immediately announced the waiver program after forming governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Read details on Modi's plan for farmers

Raising liquor taxes -- which bring in nearly 25 percent of revenue -- is the most likely option as state governments are unlikely to borrow and worsen their debt to GDP ratios, Abneesh Roy and Alok Shah, analysts at Edelweiss wrote in an investor note Jan. 1. “In the past, there have been multiple instances where volumes have taken a beating owing to price hikes emanating from an increase in the tax rate,” they wrote.

Maharashtra increased the tax on Indian-made liquor by 20 percent from Tuesday, the Times of India reported, citing a bureaucrat it didn't name. Seven states have announced waivers totaling 1.75 trillion rupees ($25 billion) so far, according to Edelweiss.

The brokerage remained underweight liquor stocks and retained its hold recommendation for United Spirits Ltd.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ameya Karve in Mumbai at akarve@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Divya Balji at dbalji1@bloomberg.net, Margo Towie, Andreea Papuc

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