Uttar Pradesh’s excise department has approved the opening of 489 new liquor shops across 43 districts, expanding the state’s existing network of approximately 27,260 retail vends selling country liquor, Indian-made foreign liquor, beer and other alcoholic beverages.
Excise Commissioner Adarsh Singh has issued a notification approving 297 new country liquor shops, 190 composite shops and two model shops. The new vends will be allotted through an online draw and will operate in addition to the current set of licensed outlets across the state. Field officials were asked to assess whether new outlets were needed in developing areas or whether outlet density should be increased in specific districts before finalising the list.
The expansion comes as the state government works towards its excise revenue target of ₹71,278 crore for the financial year 2026-27, which requires average monthly collections of roughly ₹5,977 crore through duties and taxes linked to liquor sales. The department collected approximately ₹10,605 crore in April and May combined, covering the first two months of the financial year.
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Uttar Pradesh has led the country in liquor-related excise revenue for the past three consecutive years, and the state government has been consistently raising its annual revenue targets in line with growing consumption and expanding retail infrastructure. The current expansion is being carried out under provisions of UP’s excise policy, which permits the department to increase retail liquor vends by up to 3% of the existing total after obtaining state government approval.
Among the districts receiving new vends, Rampur leads with 22 country liquor shops and six composite shops. Bijnor and Deoria will each receive 25 additional vends, while Jalaun is set to get 22 new shops. Other districts across eastern, western and central Uttar Pradesh are also part of the approved list, with the number of new outlets varying based on local demand assessments carried out by field officials.
Officials said the rollout is intended to strengthen availability across underserved areas and support revenue mobilisation for the current financial year. Once allotted through the online draw process, the new shops will be required to become operational within the timelines prescribed under the state’s excise policy.
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