NEW DELHI: Nationwide lockdowns that were necessitated due to the Corona pandemic impacted sales of IMFL (An Indian-made foreign liquor) products across India in 2020-21 with overall sales dropping by 12 percent, according to the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC). Though the sales picked up in the second half of 2020-21 in most parts, the States which imposed high Corona cess and other taxes after the first wave of Covid showed poor recovery.

The total sales of IMFL products in 2020-21 was 305 mn cases (9 litres each) which is nearly 12 percent below the previous year, says the data compiled by the CIABC. After an extremely poor first quarter (April-June 2020-21) due to Covid lockdowns, sales showed positive trend on an all India basis, improving through each quarter, and finally ending the year with a robust performance in the fourth quarter (January to March 2021), said the apex body of the Indian alcoholic beverage industry.

While the liquor sales fell by a whopping 42 percent in Q1 of the last fiscal, it declined by 9 percent in Q2 and 1 percent in Q3, before showing a recovery of 6 percent in Q4.

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