The government of Andhra Pradesh has reached a significant milestone in implementing its new liquor policy. The issuance of liquor licenses has been finalized, generating a remarkable ₹1,797.64 crore in revenue for the state.

The government invited tenders for the existing 3,396 liquor outlets across AP, resulting in an astonishing 89,882 applications. Each tender application cost ₹2 lakh, with an average of 25-26 tenders submitted per liquor shop. The NTR district emerged as the leader in applications, receiving around 5,800 bids for its 113 liquor outlets, averaging over 50 tenders per shop.

Notably, there was a surge in applications from foreign entities, indicating robust interest in the state's liquor market. This uptick followed a warning from CM Chandrababu Naidu to syndicate operators to refrain from interfering in the tendering process. As a result, Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest number of liquor contracts in its history before the new policy comes into effect.

The excise department is set to issue contracts via a lottery system, with the lottery scheduled for October 14 and contracts to be issued on October 15. The new liquor policy, featuring updated ownership structures and fresh liquor stocks, will officially launch on October 16.