Liquor sales in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar rose sharply in the last one year, with over 60,000 litres of Indian-made foreign liquor being sold in two years till July 2026, a minister told the legislative assembly on Thursday.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who holds the Home portfolio, said the state government earned Rs 87.39 in revenue from liquor sales during the two-year period from Aug. 1, 2024 till July 31, 2026.
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He was responding to a question about the sale of liquor in GIFT City raised by Congress MLA Imran Khedawala during the Question Hour on the second day of state assembly's monsoon session.
According to the written reply, 3,716.28 litres of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) was sold in the designated Wine and Dine Facility Area of the GIFT City between Aug. 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.
The quantity jumped sharply to 56,638.19 litres between Aug. 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026, taking the total for the two years to 60,354.47 litre. As per the data, the sale of liquor surged sharply more than 15-fold in volume in 2025-26 as compared to the previous year.
The government earned Rs 87.39 lakh in revenue from the sales during the period, the written reply said.
The liquor facility was introduced in December 2023 when the Gujarat government relaxed its prohibition rules for the GIFT City, which is being developed as a global financial and technology hub.
The government had then said the move was aimed at providing a "global business ecosystem" for investors, technical experts and national and international companies operating from the financial hub.
Under the rules introduced at the time, hotels, restaurants and clubs in GIFT City were allowed to provide wine and dine facilities. However, liquor bottles could not be sold to individuals.
Initially, only people officially working in the GIFT City and their official guests were permitted to consume liquor at designated hotels, restaurants and clubs after obtaining the required permits.
Liquor access permits were provided to owners and employees of companies operating in GIFT City, while temporary permits were available to their visitors.
The relaxation marked a major departure from Gujarat's prohibition policy.
Manufacture, storage, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages have been prohibited in the state since its formation, and the GIFT City exemption was the first such relaxation granted for a specific area in Gujarat.
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The rules were further relaxed in December 2025, allowing people from outside Gujarat and India to consume liquor at designated hotels and restaurants in GIFT City by showing a valid photo identity card.
The changes removed the earlier requirement of obtaining a liquor consumption permit for such visitors, making access to alcohol at designated establishments easier.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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