Zomato wishes to start delivering alcohol to boost business

Zomato has charted out a plan to deliver alcohol as liquor demand across the nation has been skyrocketing.

According to the report, Mohit Gupta, Zomato’s CEO for food delivery, had written about the same in a business proposal to industry body International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI). The document submitted to ISWAI in mid-April further revealed that Zomato plans to target “areas that are relatively less affected by COVID-19.”

ISWAI’s Executive Chairman, Amrit Kiran Singh also supported online delivery of alcohol via these platforms to help boost state revenues that have been significantly hit during the lockdown.

Currently, there is no legal provision for home deliveries of alcohol in India. In the past, hyperlocal delivery startup Dunzo had started the delivery of alcoholic beverages, however, it had to discontinue the service, failing to comply with existing regulations. To make it feasible, the government will have to take the initiative and frame a proper guideline so that the online delivery of alcohol can be done under compliance. 

Earlier the Chhattisgarh Government launched an online portal for home delivery of alcohol. For online orders, the state government has offered a link to the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) website. Customers can also download an app on Google Play store to place online orders.