Indore News: Highest Bids Of ? ₹1.6 Crore Received For Allotment Of liquor Shops

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Strong competition was witnessed in the e-tender and e-tender-cum-auction process for the allotment of liquor shops for the financial year 2026-27. The high level of bidding in the first phase helped the state excise department receive offers significantly higher than the reserve price.

Deputy Excise Controller Manoj Agrawal said that in the first phase, Batch-1 was conducted on March 2. Out of 19 groups, the e-tender and auction process was completed for 11 groups where bids were received.

The total reserve price for these groups was ?452.74 crore, while the highest bid reached ?498.37 crore, about 10% higher than the reserve price. Compared to the calculated annual value of ?377.28 crore for 2025-26, the highest offer for 2026-27 shows an increase of ?121.08 crore, about 32% higher than last year.

Batch-2 of the first phase was conducted on March 5 for 12 groups. The calculated annual base value of these groups for 2025-26 was ?325.86 crore and the reserve price for 2026-27 was fixed at ?391.03 crore.

Through the e-tender and auction process, the highest combined offer reached ?448.20 crore. This amount is about 37.5% higher than last year s annual value and around 14.6% more than the reserve price.

Batch-3 was initiated on March 7 for 18 groups, out of which tenders were received for 11 groups with a total of 43 bids. Against a reserve price of ?608.12 crore, the highest bid reached ?666.18 crore, about 9.5% higher than the reserve price. Compared to the calculated annual value of ?506.76 crore for 2025-26, the new offer shows an increase of ?159.42 crore, nearly 31.5% higher than last year.

As of March 8, a total of 34 groups out of 56 in the first phase have been finalised across Batch-1, Batch-2 and Batch-3. The calculated annual value of these groups for 2025-26 was about ?1,209.92 crore and the reserve price for 2026-27 was ?1,451.90 crore. However, the highest bids received have reached ?1,612.77 crore, about 33.3% higher than last year s value and around 11% higher than the reserve price.

The e-tender and e-auction process for the remaining groups in the first phase will be completed on March 10 as per the scheduled programme.