Delhi residents can now book and pay for liquor without stepping into a shop. But getting their bottles home is still their responsibility. A new government-run app allows customers to choose their preferred brands, check availability and pay online before collecting their orders from designated liquor outlets.
There is a catch. Customers must collect the bottles within 48 hours of payment. Home delivery is not available.
The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has introduced the ‘Delhi Liquor Booking’ app, with the facility currently available at 208 liquor outlets operated by the corporation across the capital.
The move is aimed at reducing queues outside liquor shops, easing pressure on payment counters and making pricing and billing more transparent, officials said.
How Does The Delhi Liquor Booking App Work?
Customers can check the availability of liquor brands at participating stores through the app before placing an order.
They can select a store, choose their preferred brand, bottle size and quantity, and make the payment online.
Once the booking is completed, the app generates a QR code. Customers must visit the selected shop and present the code, which will be scanned before the bottles are handed over.
The facility allows buyers to check stock availability before travelling to a shop, instead of finding out at the counter whether their preferred brand is available.
However, the entire transaction cannot be completed from home. Buyers must visit the outlet within 48 hours of making the payment to collect their purchases.
Who Can Use The App?
Customers must be at least 25 years old to use the facility, in line with Delhi’s excise rules.
The existing purchase limits will continue to apply. Officials said an individual can purchase up to nine litres of whisky and 18 litres of beer under the applicable rules.
Customers can also cancel an order before collecting it. However, there is no provision for returning bottles once they have been sold or picked up.
DSIIDC is one of four government corporations authorised to operate retail liquor outlets in Delhi.
The four corporations together run more than 700 liquor shops across the capital. But the online booking facility is currently restricted to DSIIDC’s 208 outlets.
The other corporations operating liquor stores are the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) and Delhi Consumers’ Cooperative Wholesale Store (DCCWS).
Retail liquor sales in Delhi returned to government-run corporations after the withdrawal of the previous excise policy in 2022.
Officials said the initial response to the online booking facility has not been encouraging so far. Any expansion of the service will depend on how customers respond.
