Cheers & prayers: Businessmen in Telangana keep fingers crossed for booze licence auction today

HYDERABAD: It's prayer time for liquor businessmen hoping to get the Almighty to favour their bid in the lottery for liquor shop licence auction on Monday.
With the excise department receiving more than 1.31 lakh applications for 2,620 shops, cartels and newcomers are making temple trips and performing special pujas. Several shops have received an average of 50 applications, with no shop receiving fewer than 20.
"Liquor business is driven by sentiment and many shops are named after gods and goddesses. This time many women and young people have applied. So, competition will be fierce. There is good opportunity for newcomers who get the licence, they will have about three months to scout for a rented place to run the shop," said Asav Wines owner Kishan Peddapally. In the last auction for 2021-23, many people had struggled to find a shop immediately as they had to open the shop the day after they won the licence in the auction.
However, this time for 2023-25, the government advanced the auction by three months and new licences will be operational only in December. The old owners will will continue to operate till then.
One shop in Mulugu got more than 200 applications, surprising many in the industry as the area is not very active.
While one businessman from Vikarabad is rumoured to have submitted nearly 1,000 applications through many of his associates in his bid to ensure he did not miss out.