NEWS
DELI HIGH COURT UPHOLDS BAN ON PERNOD RICRAD WHOLESALE LICENCE
By Staff Reporter
8-6-2026
Source: Pernod Ricard
The Delhi High Court has upheld the denial of a key wholesale liquor licence to global spirits giant Pernod Ricard, extending the firm’s commercial exclusion from Delhi’s wholesale alcohol market for another year.
The ruling confirms the continuation of restrictions that have barred Pernod Ricard from holding an L1 wholesale licence in the Indian capital since 2023.
The licence permits bulk storage and supply of alcoholic products to retail outlets, a critical operational requirement for distributing the company’s portfolio across Delhi.
The licensing rejection stems from the company’s ongoing linkage to investigations into the controversial 2021 Delhi Excise Policy case, including an active money laundering probe by India’s Enforcement Directorate.
Local excise authorities initially refused the firm’s licence renewal last year, with an appellate authority upholding the decision earlier in 2026.
Pernod Ricard had challenged the order on grounds that no final conviction had been passed against the company, arguing it should benefit from the legal presumption of innocence.
However, the high court affirmed that ongoing criminal proceedings constitute valid grounds for licence disqualification under the Delhi Excise Act.
The bench stressed that licensing eligibility requires a clean regulatory record, irrespective of pending trial outcomes.
The outcome represents a substantial commercial setback for Pernod Ricard, one of India’s largest spirits suppliers.
Its flagship products - including scotch whiskies, vodka and popular domestic blended spirits - will remain unable to access Delhi’s organised retail liquor network via authorised wholesale channels.
Industry observers say the verdict sets a strong regulatory precedent. It signals stricter licensing oversight for alcohol firms facing federal financial probes, tightening entry and renewal norms across India’s highly regulated state liquor markets.
Pernod Ricard is yet to confirm further legal recourse.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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