2.96 crore litres of liquor sold by November as: Guwahati drinks more than ever in 2025
Guwahati has quietly crossed a troubling milestone in 2025. By November alone, the city consumed a staggering 2.96 crore litres of liquor, the highest ever recorded for the same period in the last three years.
The figure is not just a statistic, it is a reflection of how Assam’s capital is rapidly transforming into a city saturated with alcohol, driven by aggressive policy decisions, unchecked expansion of liquor outlets, and a revenue-first approach that increasingly ignores social costs.
The numbers tell a blunt story. Till November 2025, Guwahati recorded total liquor sales of 2,96,74,024 bulk litres (BL). Of this, 1,35,47,118.1 BL of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) was sold, confirming whiskey as the city’s most preferred drink. Beer sales touched 1,43,53,903.2 BL, while 17,73,003.1 BL of country spirit was consumed. In comparison, during the same period in 2024, the city consumed 2.44 crore litres, and in 2023, 2.74 crore litres. Despite economic pressures, rising prices, and public health warnings, Guwahati has drunk more in 2025 than at any time in recent memory.
The increase is not accidental. It coincides directly with the rapid expansion of liquor infrastructure across the city. In 2025 alone, 19 new liquor shops were opened through the tendering process, with bids underway for nine more outlets. Over the last five years, around 20 new IMFL off-licences and nearly 100 new bar licences have been issued. Guwahati today has 334 liquor shops, 237 bars, 75 late-night bars, 67 country-spirit and IMFL off-shops, three standalone country spirit outlets, 23 IMFL wholesale warehouses, seven country spirit warehouses, five bottling plants, and six microbreweries. Liquor outlets that once shut by 10 PM now operate till 11 PM, while bar timings have been steadily extended.
This explosive growth is reflected in year-on-year consumption patterns. In 2024 till November, IMFL sales stood at 1,33,87,118.1 BL, beer at 93,53,903.2 BL, and country spirit at 16,73,003.1 BL, totalling 2,44,14,024.4 BL. In 2023, total sales till November were 2,47,42,549 BL, comprising 1,41,75,477 BL IMFL, 94,20,856 BL beer, and 11,46,216 BL country spirit. The sharp jump in 2025 is driven largely by beer and IMFL consumption, signalling changing drinking habits and wider accessibility rather than population growth alone.
Guwahati’s physical landscape mirrors these figures. Liquor shops are now embedded into daily life, on busy commercial roads, inside residential neighbourhoods, and alarmingly close to schools, temples, playgrounds, and markets. Bars meant strictly for on-premise consumption are openly selling bottles across counters, blurring the line between bars and retail outlets. What was once regulated and discreet has become casual, visible, and normalised. Alcohol is no longer something people seek out; it is something they stumble upon everywhere.
The government’s justification remains consistent: wider availability reduces smuggling from neighbouring Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh and ensures legal sales boost state revenue. A senior Excise Department official argued that legal access prevents black-market circulation and allows the state to collect its “due share.” On paper, the policy appears successful. Assam’s excise revenue has surged from Rs 147.75 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 799.53 crore in 2023-24, with the state earning close to Rs10 crore a day from liquor in 2023 alone. For the treasury, alcohol has become one of the most reliable income streams.
But beneath the revenue figures lies growing unrest. Bar owners are openly upset over steep hikes in annual renewal fees implemented from April 1, 2024. The earlier flat fee of Rs 2.5 lakh has been replaced by a tiered system, Rs 4 lakh for bars up to 1,000 sqft, Rs 6 lakh for bars between 1,000 and 2,500 sq ft, and Rs 8 lakh for larger bars within municipal areas. While the government squeezes operators for more revenue, it continues to flood the market with new licences, intensifying competition and pushing outlets to promote higher sales to survive.
The real cost, however, is social. The unchecked spread of liquor outlets is exposing children and teenagers to alcohol branding and drinking culture at an increasingly early age. Easy access, extended timings, and visible consumption normalise drinking in ways that are difficult to reverse. Guwahati’s record-breaking 2.96 crore litres is not just about demand, it is about a city being reshaped by policy choices that prioritise excise collections over public health, safety, and social responsibility. What looks like a revenue success story today may well become a long-term crisis tomorrow.