Delhi to Introduce Liquor in Tetra Pak

After the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Goa, consumers in Delhi will soon be able to buy liquor in 180ml Tetra Pak containers.

According to media sources, the Excise Department of Delhi has given two brands the green light to sell liquor in Tetra Pak as part of its new excise policy. Under the policy, around 700 liquor brands are registered with the state, including the two moving to Tetra Pak.

The reason for allowing liquor to be packed in the carton packaging is to make it affordable to lower income groups, given that Tetra Pak is a comparatively cheaper type of packaging that will reduce the cost of breakages as well as help prevent adulteration.

But while state governments are praising the various merits of Tetra Pak, bootleggers are, in turn, recognising how some of those very same merits can help them in their illicit activities. In particular, the containers are easier to transport and harder to damage than traditional liquor packaging. Even a cyclist would be able to carry the Tetra Pak containers in his shirt pocket without raising suspicion. Indeed, some agents are reported to be carrying the liquor packs on plastic trays with milk packets on the top to evade inspection.