Delhi Amends Excise Rules: Tighter Industrial Alcohol Limits, Higher Cap on Sacramental Wine

Delhi has amended its Excise Rules, 2010, introducing stricter controls on industrial alcohol and revising provisions related to sacramental wine. The Finance Department announced that the changes will come into force once officially notified in the gazette, offering a clearer regulatory framework for compliance and oversight in excise-related activities across the capital.

A key amendment revises Form P-6 to cap the total quantity of special denatured spirit sold for industrial use at 15,000 kilolitres at any given time, in line with Rule 33. The rules also introduce a new condition limiting the annual authorised possession for permit holders to the same 15,000-kilolitre ceiling, a move aimed at preventing overstocking, improving accountability, and reducing the risk of misuse of industrial alcohol.

Another major change affects Rule 20, expanding the special permissions granted to the Bishop of Delhi for sacramental wine. The revised provision allows the Bishop to purchase, import, transport, and possess up to 4,000 litres of duty-free sacramental wine annually from authorised distilleries across India, subject to approval by the Excise Commissioner—significantly higher than the earlier limit of 91 litres.

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