PANAJI
Ahead of the proposed rollout of the Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) in April, the alcoholic beverage industry bodies have urged the State government to defer its implementation until after October, citing supply chain disruptions and potential revenue losses.
In a joint representation, the Brewers Association of India (BAI), the International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI), and the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), while expressing support for the environmental objectives of the initiative, flagged significant gaps in the framework and a lack of clarity on key operational aspects.
The associations termed the current implementation timeline as “unrealistic”, warning that it could result in excise revenue losses exceeding Rs 100 crore from beer and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). They have sought postponement of the scheme until after October this year.
Under the proposed sustainability measure aimed at boosting recycling and curbing litter, the Goa government plans to introduce the DRS from April 2, 2026. The scheme will require consumers to pay a refundable deposit ranging from Rs 2 to Rs 10 on products sold in plastic and glass packaging, including alcohol bottles, multilayered wrappers and milk cartons.
The industry bodies met the Chairman of the Goa DRS Administration Committee, Anthony De Sa, along with excise officials and the selected System Operator (SO) on February 18. They pointed out that specifications and application standards for the proposed Unique Serial Identifier (USI) are yet to be issued, preventing manufacturers from initiating inventory pre-building, which typically begins in February ahead of the peak summer season.
They further noted that existing applicator systems on production lines would require reconfiguration, potentially reducing efficiency by 25“30 per cent and leading to a shortfall of 10“15 lakh cases during high-demand months.
