Excise eyes record beer sales as IPL, summer heat drive demand

Hyderabad: With the scorching summer and the IPL season in full swing, the state excise department is setting ambitious sales targets—aiming to sell 1.5 crore additional beer cases this year. The convergence of rising temperatures, wedding celebrations, and cricket fever has created the perfect storm for a surge in alcohol sales across the state.On March 22, the opening day of IPL 2025, the state saw a whopping four lakh beer cases sold in a single day. Since then, officials report a daily average of three lakh cases, prompting the department to instruct retailers to ramp up their inventory, especially during the peak summer months of April and May.Last year, Telangana sold approximately 5.8 crore beer cases. This year, the department plans to push that figure to 6.8 crore, with an additional focus on boosting Indian made foreign liquor sales to four crore cases.Officials are determined to hit their target of selling 1.5 crore beer cases in just two months, leveraging the seasonal spike. Retailers have also been advised to make up for non-operational holidays by lifting double the stock the following day."This year, the beer price hike hasn't affected demand. With multiple events coinciding—including the IPL and wedding season—we see a strong opportunity to make up for the slight dip in beer sales last year," an official said.The department is betting big on this season. With daily sales targets exceeding three lakh cases, they are closely monitoring supply chains and sales data to ensure uninterrupted distribution.