Andhra mandates QR code scanning for liquor sales

The Andhra Pradesh government has made QR code verification compulsory for all liquor sales across the state in an effort to curb the circulation of illicit and counterfeit alcohol. The move comes shortly after the launch of the AP Excise Suraksha App (APESA), a platform to authenticate liquor bottles before they reach consumers.

Under the new enforcement measures, all licensed liquor shops and bars are now required to scan the QR code on every bottle using the APESA app to confirm its authenticity before sale. The decision follows recent reports of unverified liquor being sold in certain areas, raising public health concerns.

According to the excise department’s directive, licence holders must inspect each bottle’s seal, cap and hologram, and record verification details, including brand, batch number, timestamp and authenticity status in a daily genuineness verification register, either manually or digitally.

The APESA system is integrated with the state excise ERP and provides one of three results: authentic product, duplicate or tampered code, or code not found. Bottles with mismatched or missing codes are to be immediately segregated, and local excise officials notified.

Excise officers have been instructed to perform random checks using QR scans and maintain records of their findings. Additionally, retailers must verify at least 5 percent of bottles in every new consignment received from Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Ltd. (APSBCL) depots, with a batch verification certificate retained for inspection.

The Director of Excise and the Managing Director of APSBCL have been tasked with ensuring the strict implementation of these guidelines across the state to reinforce transparency and consumer safety in the liquor trade.