Finally, Delhi to get its own microbreweries

You can finally enjoy freshly brewed beer in your favourite restaurants and clubs in the city. Currently, Delhiites have to visit Gurgaon to savour such lager, but the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 has been modified to allow microbreweries in restaurants, hotels and clubs.

While the authority had approved the modification last September, it has now been notified by the Centre, allowing microbreweries to come up in the capital for the first time.

Such breweries, however, can only have a capacity of up to 500 litres per day and must install on-site waste water treatment facilities. Compliance to relevant noobjection certificates and licenses are required.

Capital says hurrah to microbrewery nod

NEW DELHI: Hotels, restaurants and clubs have got the nod to operate microbreweries in the national capital. DDA had invited suggestions and objections from the public last September on the proposal to amend the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 to allow such breweries. The proposal was approved in DDA’s meeting headed by LG Anil Baijal on September 7, 2018. The suggestions and objections received by DDA were discussed by a board of enquiry in its meeting on November 28, 2018. Following this, the modification in the MPD was finally carried out this Wednesday and the notification was published.

Delhi government had cleared a proposal to set up microbreweries in restaurants and hotels in 2015 but the proposal could not be implemented because breweries are listed under the ‘prohibited/negative’ list of industries in the MPD. With the MPD being modified, microbreweries of up to 500 litre a day capacity are now out of the ‘prohibited/negative’ list.

“Haryana has seen a proliferation of microbreweries as consumers want freshly craft-ed beers. Recently, Uttar Pradesh passed the microbrewery policy too. Delhi was losing out on revenues as well as consumers to Gurgaon and Noida,” said Rahul Singh, president of National Restaurant Association of India and founder and CEO, Beer Cafe. “This clearance brings the spotlight Delhi deserves and will go a long way to promote tourism and experiential drinking for Delhites,” Singh said. “We will be looking at extending the line with small batches of on-premise brewed beers which will be experimental.”

“There will be more options and the nightlife scene in Delhi will improve,” said Shriram Monga of SRED, a food and beverage advisory firm. “It will give a boost to the real estate in restaurant hubs of the city such as CP, Nehru Place, Aerocity and Punjabi Bagh. Each microbrewery has its own brewing technique. So, trying beer at each microbrewery is a unique experience,” he said. Monga said 25-30 microbreweries are expected to open within this year and the number will keep rising by 25% year on year. “For mall developers and food hub creators, a microbrewery will become an essential category in itself in Delhi,” he said.

“Delhi government can now issue licences to microbreweries based on today’s order. Gurgaon has 44 microbreweries. Delhi is five times the size of Gurgaon. So one can imagine the potential of the business here and many existing players will be applying for permissions to set up a microbrewery in Delhi,” said a microbrewery operator who is planning to apply for a licence in Delhi.

Source:-https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/grocery/finally-delhi-to-get-its-own-microbreweries/68121944