VISAKHAPATNAM: International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI) will have a round table meet with AP government to discuss ease of doing liquor business in the state.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, ISWAI chief executive officer Nita Kapoor said after getting some respite from Covid-19, their association has come up with a proposal of meeting all state governments in south India. Their main motto is to build a culture of responsible drinking and best practices, Kapoor said in a telephonic conversation.
ISWAI is deploying experts to talk widely on healthy liquor business practices and revenue generation, which are essential for smooth running of any government.
“We will begin our task with Andhra Pradesh followed by other states, including Telangana. We will be able to talk more about our plans after the meet, the date of which has not yet been decided. But most probably, the meeting will be in September," Kapoor maintained.
ISWAI started focusing on AP government after the latter's announcement of opening 300 new liquor stores at tourist locations. This decision is quite a change as its earlier liquor policy was to bring in prohibition by 2024.
“Without liquor, there is no tourism anywhere in the world. Since the state does not have branded liquor products, tourists have expressed unhappiness with being in the state. The government must relax norms of selling branded liquor at all stores under the tourism department limits," said a tourism functionary.
