Liquor sales at GIFT City’s permitted “wine and dine” facilities have gone from a trickle to a gush, reflecting brisk business activity and event-driven footfall at Gujarat’s rapidly growing financial hub.Gujarat govt on Thursday told the assembly that total foreign liquor sales at GIFT City touched 60,354.47 litres over two years, uncorking revenue of Rs 87,39,184.The data was shared in a written reply by deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi after Jamalpur-Khadia MLA Imran Khedawala sought details of sales in the special zone.The year-on-year break-up shows a steep jump. Sales stood at a modest 3,716 litres between Aug 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025. In the following 12 months — from Aug 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026 — sales rose to 56,638 litres, a 15-fold increase.GIFT City first received a limited relaxation in Gujarat’s prohibition framework in Dec 2023, allowing for controlled consumption in designated areas for authorised officials and visitors. Since then, the dry state has steadily eased compliance requirements to make GIFT City’s ‘oasis’ more attractive to global companies and visiting delegations.In Dec 2025, the state govt did away with temporary permit requirements for foreign nationals and visitors from outside Gujarat, letting them drink at authorised hotels, clubs and restaurants, provided they have a valid govt photo ID.The most recent change was the reduction of VAT on permitted liquor sales in GIFT City from 65% to 25%, along with the scrapping of special fees — effectively removing a hefty tax component from the bill. Industry watchers say the policy shift is in step with GIFT City’s ambitions to become a go-to venue for international meetings, conferences and corporate gatherings.“The eased prohibition policy for GIFT City is going to help finance and tech firms attract global talent to the emerging international financial hub,” a developer said.Event planners and hospitality players also point to a swelling pipeline of large-format conventions and business summits, with GIFT City increasingly being seen as a premier venue for marquee events alongside its banking, fintech and services ecosystem. Greater regulatory clarity, combined with a growing corporate presence, they say, is what’s driving the uptick in consumption within GIFT City’s tightly regulated “wine and dine” framework.
