Key facts
- Delhi recorded a nearly 10% increase in beer sales in May compared to the previous year.
- Popular national beer brands saw their market share rise to 54% in May.
- Sales of other brands, including imports, decreased to 46% of the market.
- Over 1.1 million cases of beer were sold in May, up from over 1 million cases last year.
- Draught beer sales were primarily driven by restaurants and clubs.
Beer sales in Delhi experienced a significant surge of nearly 10% in May compared to the same period last year. This increase is attributed to the return of popular national brands to retail shelves, which now command a 54% market share, up from 38% in May 2024 and 24% in May 2025. Concurrently, the market share for lesser-known labels and imports from Nepal and Bhutan has declined to 46%.
Official data indicates that 1,112,761 cases of beer were sold in May, an increase from 1,010,524 cases in the prior year. National brands contributed 596,351 cases to this total. Draught beer sales, primarily concentrated in restaurants and clubs, amounted to 1,521 cases, with restaurants accounting for the majority.
Excise department officials noted that May and June are peak months for beer consumption due to rising temperatures. They also mentioned monitoring brand pushing issues raised by the industry and conducting surprise inspections to ensure compliance.