Punjab to revamp liquor supply chain

The Punjab government has decided to fully automate its QR code–based track-and-trace system across the liquor supply chain to curb excise duty evasion, check counterfeit liquor and enable real-time monitoring from production to retail.

The upgraded system will provide end-to-end digital tracking for country liquor, Indian-made foreign liquor, beer and imported foreign liquor. Each bottle or can will carry a unique, digitally secured QR code, while cartons will have corresponding case barcodes. Tracking will start at distilleries and import points, move through bonded warehouses and extend up to retail vends, giving the excise department real-time visibility of liquor movement.

The initiative also aims to ensure accurate assessment of excise duty on every bottle and prevent the circulation of non-duty-paid liquor. QR code labels, combined with holograms supplied by India Security Press, will use tamper-evident material that shows visible marks if removed or altered.

Punjab’s excise department has begun the process of appointing a technology firm to develop an end-to-end software platform capable of operating in both offline and online modes. The system will integrate with existing applications, including the NIC-managed e-Abkari portal, support GPS and smart lock based consignment tracking, enable mobile-based field inspections, and generate MIS dashboards for inventory and compliance.

Consumers will also be able to verify the authenticity of liquor bottles through SMS, websites and mobile applications, supporting the state’s push to modernise excise administration and improve transparency.