Lucknow, July 9, 2026: The Uttar Pradesh Excise Department has cancelled the registration of Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky 12Y in the state with immediate effect and imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on its BIO-1 distributor Brindco Sales Pvt. Ltd. of Gautam Buddha Nagar, for violating the MRP pricing undertaking given under the UP Excise Policy 2026-27.
The action was taken by UP Excise through an order dated July 9, 2026, after it was found that the brand’s CIF value was approved in Delhi at ₹330.04 on June 10, 2026 — lower than the CIF value of ₹346.50 at which the same brand had been registered in Uttar Pradesh for the year 2026-27. This directly violated Clauses 1.13.3(5) and 1.13.3(11) of the UP Excise Policy 2026-27.
The core issue involves what is known as the CIF value — Cost, Insurance and Freight — which is the declared import value of a foreign liquor brand at the time of entry into India. Under UP’s excise framework, a brand cannot be registered in a neighbouring state or in Delhi at a CIF value lower than the one declared for Uttar Pradesh. This rule exists to prevent brands from artificially declaring higher values in UP to inflate margins while getting cheaper approvals elsewhere, which would distort pricing and reduce the state’s legitimate excise revenue.
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Brindco Sales Pvt. Ltd. had specifically signed an affidavit as part of its registration undertaking, committing that it would not register the brand in Delhi or nearby states at a CIF value lower than what was proposed for UP in 2026-27. The lower Delhi CIF approval was a direct breach of this sworn commitment, the order states.
Despite being issued a Show Cause Notice on June 17, 2026, and being given a personal hearing on July 9, 2026, the excise department found Brindco’s response unsatisfactory, holding that the company merely repeated its earlier written submissions without addressing the core violation. Accordingly, the registration of Johnnie Walker Black Label in UP was cancelled with immediate effect, and a fine of ₹1 lakh was imposed.
Brindco has been directed to deposit the fine amount within one week and submit the challan through the District Excise Officer, Gautam Buddha Nagar. The order also clarifies that once the fine is deposited, Brindco may apply afresh for registration and MRP approval of the brand under the regular procedure.
The action is among the more high-profile enforcement orders issued under UP’s excise pricing framework in recent years, given that Johnnie Walker Black Label is one of the most widely sold Scotch whisky brands in India. Diageo India’s United Spirits Limited is the authorised distributor and brand owner in India, while Brindco acted as the BIO-1 state-level licensee for UP.
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