Noida, March 6, 2026:
Liquor sales in Noida increased sharply in the days leading up to Holi, with around ₹32 crore worth of alcohol sold between March 1 and March 3. This marks a 22% rise compared to last year, according to the excise department.
During these three days, about 7.7 lakh litres of liquor were sold across the city. Country-made liquor recorded the highest demand, with nearly 3 lakh bulk litres sold. Beer followed with 2.7 lakh bulk litres, while Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) sales reached 1.9 lakh bulk litres.
The highest sales were recorded on March 3, when liquor worth ₹13 crore was sold in a single day. On regular days, the city typically records ₹4–5 crore in daily liquor sales.
District Excise Officer Subodh Kumar said that alcohol demand usually increases during festivals, and this year Holi saw a significant rise. For comparison, liquor sales in the three days before Holi last year were around ₹27 crore, while in 2024 the figure stood at ₹23 crore.
Apart from liquor, bhang sales also saw a slight increase. The city’s only licensed bhang shop reported sales of around ₹2 lakh, slightly higher than ₹1.8 lakh last year, as people prepared traditional Holi drinks and snacks.
Liquor shops across Uttar Pradesh will remain closed on Holi due to the dry day rule.
The excise department also issued around 150 occasional party licences between March 1 and March 3 for pre-Holi celebrations. Hotels, banquet halls, and clubs hosting such events were required to obtain permits to serve or allow alcohol consumption.
Officials said strict monitoring was carried out during the high-demand period. Excise teams inspected licensed liquor stores and canteens, checked pricing compliance, verified POS transactions at beer shops, and ensured CCTV systems were functioning properly. Secret test purchases were also conducted to confirm that outlets were following the rules.
Currently, Noida has 501 licensed liquor outlets, including 234 country liquor shops, 239 composite shops, 27 model shops, and one licensed bhang shop.
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