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In almost every Western TV show or film, we see someone waltzing through the aisles of a supermarket, grabbing a bottle of wine, and placing it in their baskets. We would be lying if we said we had never wondered why Indian supermarkets, too, did not store and sell wine off the shelves.
The good news, however, is that this phenomenon is beginning in India, with Maharashtra being the first state to implement it.
The All India Wine Producers’ Association (AIWPA) drafted a ‘shelf in shop’ policy that aims to increase the ‘free flow of wine’ in the state. This was sparked from the idea that the wine industry could increase five-fold in size (from 1,000 Crore) in the next five years, according to the Economic Times.
The Maharashtra government has approved this policy, and supermarkets and grocery stores of over 1,000 square feet in size will be allowed to shelf wines. An annual licensing fee of INR 5,000 will have to be paid.
The Hindustan Times revealed that next in line may be Karnataka, whose excise Minister K Gopalaiah said that a team will be sent to Maharashtra to study the ‘shelf in shop’ policy, on the basis of which its implementation in the state will be decided.
Maharashtra, congratulations on no longer needing to visit alcohol shops to bring home a bottle of wine. Now, just head to your closest supermarket!
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