Delhi craft beer and microbrewery rules, as of October 2026

A city waiting on a new policy

Delhi has run on an extended old regime since the 2021-22 policy was withdrawn in 2022. The excise department extended renewal and grant of licences for 2026-27 on the same terms. A new policy was reported as drafted in late September 2026, with Business Today (28 September 2026) saying it still needs Cabinet and Lieutenant Governor approval and that the duty could rise. Retail stays with government: more than 700 shops are run by four government corporations and private shops are not expected back.

So everything below is the position on 8 October 2026. If the new policy is notified after this date, it may change rates and licences.

The microbrewery licence is L-11

Delhi opened microbreweries to hotels, restaurants and airports from the 2015-16 licensing year. The L-11 terms and conditions on the excise department's site set the rules:

• You must already hold an L-16 (hotel bar), L-17 or L-18 (independent restaurant) or L-19 (airport) licence.
• Installed capacity of no more than 1,000 litres a day, with Delhi Pollution Control Committee clearance and a project report.
• Beer up to 8% ABV, certified daily by a qualified chemist, with a monthly sample to the laboratory.
• Beer issued for on-site consumption only.

A February 2026 circular renewed existing L-11 licences for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 at ₹2.5 lakh a year for up to 500 litres a day and ₹5 lakh for up to 1,000 litres a day. The department kept the right to raise the fee mid-year.

Duty: flat for brewpubs, a percentage for everyone else

The L-11 terms set duty on microbrewery beer at ₹40 per bulk litre at the manufacturing stage, under rule 152 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010. Packaged beer is taxed as a share of wholesale price. Delhi excise figures reported in September 2026 coverage put Indian beer at 150%, up to a wholesale price slab. The Delhi Excise Act, 2009 caps beer duty at 200% of wholesale price.

The gap is large. A flat ₹40 a litre on brewpub beer beats 150% of a craft wholesale price by a wide margin. That is the strongest argument for brewing on site in Delhi, provided the venue can sell enough over its own bar to fill the tanks. A 500 litre a day kit is an ambitious number for a single restaurant floor.

No kegs out, no growlers

Under the current L-11 terms, beer stays in the building. The withdrawn 2021-22 policy would have let microbreweries supply draught beer to other bars and sell takeaway growlers, as The Tribune reported. That policy was scrapped in July 2022 and those freedoms went with it. We found nothing in the September 2026 reporting on the new draft about microbreweries, so treat any talk of growlers in Delhi as unconfirmed until the notification is out.

How a restaurant without a brewery pours craft beer

An independent restaurant serves liquor under L-17, with L-17F added for foreign liquor. A restaurant that only wants beer, wine and alcopop can take L-18. Both are granted to restaurants approved by the Department of Tourism, Government of India, according to the excise department's licence page. Hotel bars run on L-16 alongside L-15.

Kegs reach them through wholesale. The department's service list includes L-2, wholesale vend of draught beer, alongside L-1, the general wholesale licence. L-1 is granted only to applicants who own a distillery, brewery or manufacturing unit. Its main job is to supply the on-trade. Brand approval also matters. Beer priced up to ₹100 MRP needs minimum all-India sales of 1.5 lakh cases (up to 5% ABV) or 3.5 lakh cases (above 5%) over two years, but beer above ₹100 MRP has no minimum. Most craft beer clears that line.

Contract brewing

Because L-1 requires the applicant to own a manufacturing unit, a brand without a brewery cannot simply take its own wholesale licence. The workable route is a partner brewery that holds the Delhi wholesale licence and registers your label. Whether a tie-up counts as ownership for L-1 is a question for the department, in writing. Our guide to contract brewing in India covers the agreement itself.

What to check now

Confirm your restaurant licence is renewable before you buy a brewhouse, since L-11 renewal follows it. Watch for the new policy and read its beer section the day it is notified. Then work the wider licence path for pollution control and building approval. Rates and fees here are from the documents linked above. Check the current notification with the department or a licensing adviser. This guide is a working summary, not legal advice.

Common questions

Are microbreweries legal in Delhi?

Yes. Hotels, restaurants and airports holding L-16, L-17, L-18 or L-19 can add an L-11 microbrewery licence, renewed for 2026-27 at ₹2.5 lakh up to 500 litres a day and ₹5 lakh up to 1,000 litres a day.

Can a Delhi microbrewery sell growlers or supply other bars?

Not under the current L-11 terms, which allow on-site consumption only. The 2021-22 policy that allowed both was withdrawn in 2022.

What is the excise duty on microbrewery beer in Delhi?

The L-11 terms set it at ₹40 per bulk litre under rule 152 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010. Check whether the new policy changes it.

Which licence lets a Delhi restaurant serve craft beer on tap?

L-17 (with L-17F for foreign liquor) or L-18 for beer, wine and alcopop. Draught beer reaches them through wholesale licensees such as L-2.