Change In Liquor Rules Inside Gujarat’s Gift City: Who Can Drink And Who Cannot?

Ahmedabad: Gujarat officially remains a dry State, but limited permission to consume liquor is granted to “certain categories of visitors from outside” within GIFT City in Gandhinagar, and those rules have now been modified.

At Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), the State government has introduced changes in the existing “wine and dine” facility to further boost the global business ecosystem and economic activity for global investors, technical experts and the international and national companies operating there.

According to a Gujarat government press release, the modifications aim to make it easier for visitors coming from outside the State or country for industrial purposes to obtain a temporary permit for liquor consumption under the “wine and dine facility” in GIFT City.

Under the revised provisions, visitors arriving in GIFT City for industrial or business purposes will now be allowed to consume liquor not only in designated wine and dine areas but also in any part of hotels and restaurants, including restaurants, lawn areas, poolside spaces and terraces.

Officials stated that the objective of this relaxation is to develop a global business ecosystem so that visitors from other States and countries coming to GIFT City can conveniently use the wine and dine facility during their visit.

Read More: Gujarat’s ‘Ghost City’ Debate: What Really Happened To The Rs 20,000 Crore GIFT City?

The press release also clarified that there has been no change in Gujarat’s existing laws or in the State’s prohibition policy, which remain fully in force.

The changes in the wine and dine policy apply only to officers and employees working in GIFT City and to visitors from other States and countries who come to GIFT City for industrial or business purposes, so they can easily access the wine and dine facility as part of efforts to build a global business ecosystem.

These relaxations do not apply to general citizens of Gujarat and are restricted solely to the defined category of people connected with GIFT City.