India is a land of festivals, and it is gearing up to celebrate one of its most loved festivals, Diwali. As the festive season is just around the corner, liquor stores are preparing for an expected surge in the sales, stocking up 30% more than usual to meet the anticipated demand. With Diwali being a peak sales period, retailers are all positive about registering record-breaking sales this year. Hence, liquor stores are making sure they have enough stock to meet the increased demand. Here's more about it.
Liquor stores across India are stocking up about 30% more inventory as compared to last year as they expect record-breaking sales this Diwali 2025. Several factors have contributed to this strong stock buildup and very positive sales forecast. The rising disposable incomes due to less GST and a growing cocktail culture, especially in urban areas among the youth, are the primary reasons for the rising demand.
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The sales predictions are backed by industry bodies and companies such as the International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI) and also leading liquor manufacturers, including Radico Khaitan and Bacardi India.
These organizations forecast the upcoming sales using extensive sales data, market trends, and various economic indicators. These indicators include disposable income growth and GST savings that have increased consumer purchasing power.
The spirits category contributes to nearly one-third of annual liquor sales. This makes Diwali the most profitable season for the industry. Analysts have noted that consumers are increasingly gravitating toward premium and craft segments. This clearly signales a trend of “premiumisation” as middle-class incomes rise due to GST cuts.
Among the spirits being stocked the most, whiskey, rum, gin, and vodka dominate the inventories. These spirit categories make for the largest share of consumer preference and spirits sales during festivals. Among these, whiskey remains the most bought spirit due to its cultural association with celebrations and gifting traditions.
Companies such as Radico Khaitan are focusing on popular brands like 8 pm whiskey, Jaisalmer craft gin and Magic Moments vodka to meet anticipated demand. Sazerac which is known for brands like Weller and Buffalo Trace whiskey, is also introducing festive packaging in key states to further entice the consumers.
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Delhi-NCR's liquor market alone sold 39 million bottles last year in the two weeks before Diwali. This generated INR 448 crore revenue. The market is expcted to surpass their last year's revenue, this year. Telangana has also witnessed an extraordinary liquor sales surge during the Dussehra-Diwali period. They have lifted liquor stocks worth over ₹1,000 crore within just four days. This indicates robust consumer demand in southern India specially during festive seasons.
Record-breaking sales are expected mainly at all the leading state-run retail outlets in metropolitan regions. This includes Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Telangana and Karnataka. Retailers are proactively maintaining about 30 days worth of stocks instead of the usual two weeks to meet the demand.
With consumers prepared to spend more on celebrations and gifting, the retailers are also prepared with improved supply chains to ensure uninterrupted availability. All these signale that this Diwali 2025 is set to be one of the most profitable in India’s liquor retail history, as per analysts.
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