Uttar Pradesh Aims for Rs. 63,000 Crore in Excise Collection by FY26:

Uttar Pradesh Aims for Rs. 63,000 Crore in Excise Collection by FY26 Uttar Pradesh has set its goal to boost the state's excise revenue to Rs. 63,000 crore this fiscal year, according to Nitin Agarwal, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Department of Excise and Prohibition. He mentioned that the nearly 20% increase in revenue for the 2024-25 fiscal year is mainly due to Uttar Pradesh's new e-lottery policy to allocate retail liquor shops. He also mentioned that the state is working to make the liquor business more premium, and around Rs. 7,900 crore in investments is likely to establish new manufacturing facilities. Agarwal told that the excise department has set up a goal to earn Rs. 63,000 crore in the 2025-26 fiscal year. He said the department made Rs. 52,573 crore in 2024-25, which was more than their target of Rs. 50,000 crore. He added they are making efforts to bring more investment into the alcohol and beverage industry in Uttar Pradesh. When he was asked about UP's new lottery regime and action on monopolisation of the liquor business, he responded that the state has been working to eliminate the monopoly since 2018. Many retail shops are being established by e-lottery. He added that the new policy restricts individuals from having licenses for more than two retail shops in the state. When asked about renewing shop licenses for the 2026-27 financial year, he said the final decision rests with the government. Agarwal also mentioned that on the UP investment portal, 46 projects are ready for their ground-breaking ceremony, with an expected investment of around Rs. 7,888 crore in the state. According to official data, the state granted 19 licenses to set up distilleries and 23 licenses for running micro-breweries in 2022-23.