Overview
- The state issued a May 8 notification to overhaul excise rules and ordered newspapers to print revised maximum retail prices to guide buyers.
- The new system ties excise duty to the alcohol in each drink and replaces the old bulk‑litre method.
- Government price setting has ended as producers now place products within eight pricing slabs.
- Early price lists show mild beers and premium Scotch about 20–25 percent cheaper, while lower Indian‑made liquor slabs face roughly 20–30 percent hikes.
- Brewers welcome the shift as pro‑health, and domestic distillers warn higher taxes on budget spirits will hit low‑income drinkers.