Rajasthan craft beer and microbrewery rules, as of October 2026
Rajasthan has licensed microbreweries in hotels, clubs and restaurants since April 2021, with keg sales to customers and to other bars. Commercial beer runs through the state corporation RSBCL. Here are the licence terms, the duty under the 2025-29 policy and what to check.
The microbrewery licence
The Rajasthan Brewery (Amendment) Rules, 2021, notified on 1 April 2021, added microbreweries to the 1972 brewery rules (Excise Commissioner notification, 1 April 2021):
- Definition: a small brewery of not more than 1,000 litres a day installed capacity, inside a hotel, club or restaurant with a bar licence, making draught beer.
- Forms: apply in Form R.B. 19 through the District Excise Officer; the licence is granted in Form R.B. 20.
- Who applies: holders of a hotel bar or club bar licence (1973 rules) or a restaurant bar licence (2004 rules).
- Fee: Rs 5 lakh a year, last revised on 1 April 2021, on the department's fee schedule dated 1 April 2024 (Rajasthan Excise fee schedule).
Kegs to customers and to other bars
The 2021 rule lets the brewpub serve its beer on the premises and, by proviso, sell draught beer off the premises in kegs of any size made of food-grade material to its customers, within the limit in section 5 of the Rajasthan Excise Act. It may also sell to any other hotel bar, club bar or restaurant bar licensee in the state against duty-paid permits.
That is one of the more open brewpub rules in north India. A Jaipur brewpub can supply a hotel bar in Udaipur, as long as each movement carries a duty-paid permit. A chemist must certify each day's beer, samples go to an approved lab at least once a week and the report is displayed for customers.
Duty on capacity, paid in advance
Microbrewery duty is charged on installed capacity, whether you brew that much or not. It is deposited monthly in advance. We could not find the current per-litre figure for microbrewery beer in a source we could open, so get it from the excise office. The 2026-27 amendment to the policy reportedly gives microbreweries in hotels a 50% excise exemption for the first two months (Aabkari Times, 27 January 2026).
Capacity-based duty punishes oversizing. Sizing at the full 1,000 litres a day when the bar sells a third of that means paying duty on beer that never exists. Start with the brewhouse your sales justify; our microbrewery licence guide covers the paperwork order.
Commercial beer duty and RSBCL
The Excise and Temperance Policy 2025-29, issued on 2 February 2025 and running to 31 March 2029, sets two beer rates: 185% of ex-brewery price on mild beer and 200% on strong beer (TeamLease RegTech summary). The fee schedule ties beer duty to the ex-brewery price as accepted by the Rajasthan State Beverages Corporation (RSBCL) and refers to beer supplied to RSBCL for sale in Rajasthan.
For a craft brand that means RSBCL sits between you and every shop and bar. You need brand and label registration, an accepted price and a supply order before a case moves. The brewpub keg route above is the one way round it. It works only for draught from a licensed microbrewery.
Pouring craft beer without a brewery
A venue needs one of three bar licences: a hotel bar or club bar licence under the 1973 rules, or a restaurant bar licence under the 2004 rules. Restaurant bar fees run from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 8 lakh a year depending on location, with Jaipur at the top, on the same fee schedule. The department's restaurant bar page, written for the 2004-05 policy, describes these bars as selling beer, wine and ready-to-drink drinks, so confirm the current scope (Rajasthan Excise, restaurant bars).
Kegs can then come from two places: a licensed microbrewery against a duty-paid permit, or a brewery's packaged draught through the RSBCL system. Our Maharashtra taps guide shows how a different state handles the same question.
Contract brewing
Rajasthan prices it in. The fee schedule charges a permission fee for manufacturing under a franchise agreement equal to 25% of the brewery's annual licence fee per agreement. Subletting a plant costs the same. Both date from 1 April 2022. So a brand can brew at a licensed Rajasthan brewery under an approved franchise, then sell through RSBCL. Our contract brewing guide covers the commercial terms.
What to confirm
Confirm the current microbrewery duty rate, the keg-sale limit under section 5 and the 2026-27 amendment terms before you size a brewhouse. Work with a licensing adviser. This summary is dated 8 October 2026 and is not legal advice.
Common questions
Does Rajasthan allow microbreweries?
Yes. Since April 2021 a hotel, club or restaurant with a bar licence can run a microbrewery of up to 1,000 litres a day under the Rajasthan Brewery Rules.
Can a Rajasthan brewpub sell beer to other bars?
Yes. The 2021 rules let it sell draught beer to any hotel bar, club bar or restaurant bar licensee in the state against duty-paid permits. It may also sell kegs to its own customers.
What is the excise duty on beer in Rajasthan?
Under the 2025-29 policy, 185% of ex-brewery price on mild beer and 200% on strong beer. Microbrewery beer is charged on installed capacity; confirm that rate with the excise office.
What is RSBCL's role in beer?
RSBCL is the state corporation through which commercial beer is priced and supplied for sale in Rajasthan. Brewpub kegs sold under a duty-paid permit do not go through it.
