How tonic fetches the gin: Surrogate deliveries give liquor a home run in NCR

Home delivery of liquor is not allowed in Delhi-NCR, but Nitish has no problem getting one straight to his doorstep in Gurgaon at any hour of the day. Neither does Rohit in Noida or Mahima in Delhi. All they need to do is order a packet of chips or bread or pizza, anything really that can be bought online.
Alcohol is reaching homes comfortably in Delhi-NCR through surrogate deliveries made by the same riders who bring food and groceries home but under the radar of their app-based platforms.
How? That's pure ingenuity. Place any order and the rider's phone number is available on the app. Call the rider, make a request, offer a commission, and it's done. So, order tonic and it gets you gin. Or ask for soda and it fetches you whisky. Riders hardly say no to these informal delivery requests. The economics ensures that.
A rider who delivers orders in Noida explained why. “I have a target of 15 orders per day. On an average, I earn Rs 1,000-1,200 per day. Just one alcohol delivery request in a day means an additional earning of Rs 150-200. It’s full cash in hand. I don’t have to worry about paying a platform fee for it.”
Distance of the booze shop is a factor. It helps if it is on the way because the extra time needed isn't much. Riders often lose that time waiting at a restaurant or at the gates of a condominium, especially during rush hours when security is clearing several check-in requests, which are routed to residents and approved, before a person is allowed in.
Some riders are initially hesitant, which comes from fear of being deregistered by the delivery platforms. “The money convinces them eventually,” says a Gurgaon-based marketing executive. “The booze shops will never refuse because it’s r evenue for them. And the riders are earning well too. There’s no reason torefuse,” she adds.
Rohit, who lives in Noida’s 7x and works with an IT company, says his first liquor home delivery was two bottles of rum for which he paid a charge of Rs 150. “When I asked the rider first, he didn't refuse but said he didn't have enough money in his account to make the purchase from a liquor shop. I offered to pay in advance and an extra Rs 150 to sweeten the deal. He quickly agreed,” says Rohit, who has since been ordering regularly.
On festive occasions, when house parties are the flavour of celebrations, the demand for surrogate deliveries also peaks. “On Christmas eve, I hosted a party at my place. A delivery partner agreed to g et four bottles of a lcohol for Rs 500 that I offered him. I learnt this trick from a friend, who often orders liquor this way,” says Swagat, who lives in Mehrauli.Asked how frequently delivery riders pick up booze, a liquor shop owner in Noida said the only thing they watch out for is if an underage person is buying booze. “How will we understand who is buying liquor for others who are buying for themselves?” he said.
In Gurgaon, there are several liquor shops that also informally deliver liquor to homes. ”I don't have to worry about getting alcohol even after 11pm as the shops are open and they deliver directly,” says Rahul, who works with a data analytics firm in the NCR city. Mahima, a Greater Kailash resident, buys alcohol in both Delhi and Gurgaon but hardly ever visits the shops. “In Delhi, I get it through delivery riders. In Gurgaon, the shops deliver,” she says.
Home delivery of liquor, meanwhile, has been used as bait by fraudsters who fleece people online. None of thethree states that govern NCR — Delhi, UP and Haryana — permits liquor to be delivered home. But internet searches throw up ‘online liquor shops’ that promise delivery.
Noida excise officer Subodh Kumar said surrogate deliveries are illegal and action will be taken against riders who deliver alcohol. Kumar said the department was aware of the practice. “We urge the public not to indulge in this practice and only purchase liquor from authorised shops or dealers,” said Kumar.
People who get booze delivered home, and even some who don’t, wonder why the policy should be intransigent on this, a s society changes and old practices and ways of doing business are reviewed. West Bengal, for instance, has allowed liquor deliveries via apps.
“When co nsumption of alcohol is allowed, so should be home delivery, but with government regulations. But a complete bar on home delivery doesn't make sense,” says Diviya, a boutique owner in Noida. (Some names have been changed on request)