Kerala has once again seen a huge hike in the consumption of liquor during the Onam festivities, as Kerala State Beverages Corporation Limited (Bevco) reported sales amounting to ₹826 crore for the 10-day celebration. The figure, announced on Thursday, indicates a noticeable increase over last year’s ₹776 crore sales during the same duration.
On Thiruvonam eve (Uthradam day) alone, ₹137.64 crore worth of liquor was sold throughout the state, a 9.23% rise from ₹126.01 crore in 2023. Bevco officials mentioned that six shops had business of over ₹1 crore on the day. Of these, Karunagapally shop in Kollam led the pack with sales record to beat, followed by Ashramam (Kollam) and Edappal (Malappuram).
Bevco Managing Director Harshita Attaluri explained the surge as due to increased retail convenience and addition of new brands of liquor. “Bevco was able to open new outlets which were convenient for consumers. We also introduced new brands, which were also received with open arms by consumers. This resulted in the surge in sales this festive season,” she added.
Kerala’s 26 warehouses and 278 retail shops
The state-owned liquor monopoly now has 26 warehouses and 278 retail shops spread throughout Kerala. They have pointed out that better supply chain management ensured the fulfilment of festive season demand increase without any shortages.
Kerala remains elevated, to an extent, with liquor consumption as one of the highest states in the country even though it is not among the 5 highest states in total liquor sales nationally.
In total, liquor sales in Kerala reached ₹19,730.66 crore for 2024-25, which is higher than the ₹19,069.27 crore total for 2023-24, ratios of -3.5% year-on-year. In the previous financial year, liquor sales returned ₹17,209.97 to the state treasury, a total higher than ₹16,613.16 crore the prior year, showing the health of the liquor sector and its contribution to Kerala’s state treasury.
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
