Kerala liquor sales: One company sells 9 lakh cases a month, Jawan slips to second

Thiruvananthapuram: A private liquor company has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of a change in the Kerala State Beverages Corporation's (BEVCO) sales system introduced during the previous government, pushing state-owned rum brand Jawan to second place in its category.

Jawan, which once sold up to 2.5 lakh cases a month in the rum segment, has now slipped to the second position. A liquor company based outside Kerala has gained significantly, capturing half of the state's total liquor sales within four years.

Of the 18 lakh cases of liquor sold every month in the state, around nine lakh cases belong to a single company. Three years ago, the company's monthly sales stood at four lakh cases.

The private company's growth has been linked to a software-based system introduced at BEVCO during the second Pinarayi Vijayan government's tenure.

The software was designed to calculate sales and automatically place orders for replenishing liquor stocks. Previously, orders for the coming months were placed based on sales recorded at individual outlets.

The system was introduced after instances came to light of certain liquor companies allegedly influencing employees to get new brands stocked for sale.

Under the revised system, sales at each outlet were entered into the software, which then generated orders based on the recorded figures.

However, allegations have emerged that irregularities occurred in the process. Complaints have also been raised that a software glitch may have given one company an unusually large advantage.

The company had sold only around four lakh cases over a decade but is said to have doubled that figure within just three years.

Although nearly 100 companies supply liquor to the state, the market is increasingly being dominated by just three or four players.