The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved revenue-boosting changes in the excise department, including a hike in duty on liquor and the creation of new offices and posts. A high-level study group had examined policies from other states and submitted recommendations on state excise duty, licensing, and tax collection improvements, a release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated.

The CMO said the cabinet gave its nod to restructure the department, establish an integrated control cell with AI-based monitoring of distilleries, bottling plants, and wholesale licenses, and create a new divisional office in Mumbai along with six additional superintendent-level offices in Mumbai city, Mumbai suburbs, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, and Ahilyanagar districts.

As per the cabinet’s decision, excise duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) will be raised from three to 4.5 times the declared manufacturing cost (up to Rs 260 per bulk litre), while duty on country liquor will rise from Rs 180 to Rs 205 per proof litre. The state has also introduced a new category — grain-based Maharashtra Made Liquor (MML) — to be produced exclusively by local manufacturers. MML brands will require new registrations.