Those tracking the liquor market in Tamil Nadu say sales have dipped marginally this year. File
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) has recorded liquor sales worth ₹441.38 crore during Deepavali 2026. According to sources, on the eve of Deepavali, Tasmac sold liquor worth over ₹234.75 crore and on the day of the festival the sales stood at ₹206.63 crore.
Chennai recorded liquor sales worth ₹95.85 crore, while the Tiruchi zone clocked ₹98.97 crore, followed by Madurai at ₹88.38 crore. Salem reported sales of ₹87.52 crore and Coimbatore at ₹70.66 crore. As Monday was a holiday, liquor sales are expected to remain at similar levels (sales of approximately ₹192 crore are expected).
Those tracking the liquor market in Tamil Nadu say sales have dipped marginally this year (Tasmac does not officially disclose its Deepavali sales figures. The data has been collated from various sources for several years).
While some salesmen attributed the dip in sales to machines getting stuck and confusion surrounding the buy back scheme, others said that liquor sales had been unusually high over the past week, with crowds slightly larger than usual. “People were worried that shops might not open because of the issues surrounding the buy back scheme. So, many started stocking up for the festival as early as last week,” said a salesman at a shop in the T. Nagar region.
A senior Tasmac official said that the issues with POS machines would be resolved soon and that around 1,000 new POS machines would be deployed across outlets soon. “Wherever there is a requirement we will deploy these machines.” the official added.
When asked about the issues with POS machines, Minister for Prohibition and Excise K. Vignesh questioned: “The POS machines were working until November 1. What happened after that?”
He also said that around 44 salesmen had been suspended between November 1 and 5 for violating MRP norms. “We have received more complaints of similar violations and will initiate action on them as well,” he added.
Tasmac sources said the corporation is estimated to have collected around ₹38 crore through the Environment Protection Cess. From November 1, 2026, a ₹10 Environmental and Social Welfare Cess was levied on liquor sales to facilitate the buy back of empty bottles. The cess was included in the MRP.
As on July 2026, Tasmac has 4,048 retail vending shops and a workforce of 22,877 (6,473 supervisors, 14,379 salespersons, and 2,025 assistant salespersons). For the year 2025-2026, Tasmac earned a revenue of ₹50,845 crore.
Published – November 10, 2026 12:06 am IST
