UP Excise Investors’ Summit secures ₹4,320 cr in proposals

In a significant push toward industrialising the alcoholic beverage sector, Uttar Pradesh has garnered investment proposals worth ₹4,320 crore during its first-ever one-day Excise Investors’ Summit, exclusively focused on alcohol production and allied industries, say reports.

Organised by the UP Excise Department in collaboration with Invest UP, the summit, held in Lucknow on Wednesday, aimed to attract new investments, promote policy transparency, and offer incentives to industry players. The state showcased its updated excise policy and a robust, investor-friendly framework supported by e-governance tools, online licencing systems, and single-window clearances.

So far, 142 investment proposals related to alcohol-based industries have been received via Invest UP portal. These have resulted in the signing of 135 memorandums of understanding (MoUs), collectively worth ₹39,479 crore, with a potential to generate over 73,500 jobs.

The summit featured thematic sessions like Government Policies: Present & Future Support, and Breweries, Distilleries & Local Fruit-Based Wines, moderated by UP Excise Commissioner Dr. Adarsh Singh.

Panelists in the policy-based session included Esha Priya, Special Secretary of Uttar Pradesh; Shashank Chaudhary, the Additional Chief Executive Officer (ACEO) of Invest UP; Tarun Bajaj, Director of Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA); Kanchan Subodh, Joint Commissioner of Industries department; and Col. Sanjay Singhal, Deputy Director General of CIABC.

Meanwhile, the session on breweries and fruit-based wines included Ashwin Rodrigues, Secretary of Wine Growers Association of India; Sanjeev Paithankar, Senior Vice President – Procurement, Excise & Public Affairs, Sula Vineyards; Jaikishan Pati  from Brewers Association of India, and Suresh Menon from ISWAI.

A dedicated session was held on ‘Export Promotion of Uttar Pradesh’s Alcohol Industry’. The panel featured Abhishek Dev, Chairman of APEDA; Alok Agarwal, Senior Vice President of Radico Khaitan and Mithun Kumar Das, Director of Allied Blenders & Distillers Ltd. (ABD). 

The summit also included success stories of industry leaders like Tilak Raj of Pernod Ricard, Amitabh Singh of Globus Spirits, Madhvendra Singh from Ambrosia, and Sanjay Sangwan, Director of Allianz Distillery Ltd.

Of the total MoUs signed 46 projects worth ₹7,888 crore have acquired land and are ready for construction. Additionally, 19 units are already operational, reflecting an investment of ₹2,339 crore and creating employment for 2,316 individuals.

The summit signals Uttar Pradesh’s strategic shift from being service-dominated to emerging as a key manufacturing hub, positioning itself as a rising force in India’s alcobev landscape.