The Delhi govt has notified the Delhi Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2021, on Monday, that permitted the home delivery of liquor for orders placed through mobile apps and websites, according to news agency PTI.
Amended excise rules permit holders of L-13 licence to deliver both Indian and foreign liquor at homes for orders that they receive from a mobile app or on an online portal. So far, details on how this work are still a little unclear, and none of the app companies have made any announcements.

Last year, states including Maharashtra, Odisha, and West Bengal allowed online delivery of liquor through platforms such as Amazon, BigBasket, Swiggy, and Zomato.

But, online delivery of alcohol will not come without restrictions. In some of the states where alcohol delivery from orders placed online has been permitted, people are required to first acquire a permit before they can place an order. In other states, proof of age is considered enough to place an order.

Although the state government has allowed liquor deliveries for orders placed through mobile apps and websites, it has not permitted the license holders to deliver spirit to hostels, offices, and institutions. Liquor shops in the capital are also not allowed to conduct home deliveries of alcohol.

In May 2020, the honourable Supreme Court suggested that states should consider indirect sale and home delivery of liquor in order to restrict COVID-19 spread.

Established online platforms like Amazon, Swiggy, and Zomato started doorstep delivery of liquor to their customers during last year\’s national lockdown. States such as Odisha and West Bengal permitted the platforms for taking online orders to sell liquor.

Kerala launched its dedicated liquor app called BevQ for people to take tokens for buying liquor, in order to ensure social distancing. The app was so much in demand that it crossed over one lakh downloads in just a few hours after its launch in May 2020.