Tasmac to use hologram labels on liquor bottles to curb smuggling

CHENNAI: The Prohibition and Excise Department has decided to update and enhance the effectiveness of foolproof polyester-based hologram excise labels in liquor bottles to further prevent smuggling from other states.

Accordingly, the excise of using labels can help protect consumers, secure tax revenue, and reduce the illegal liquor trade. Besides, it can also increase excise revenue collection. The hologram stickers were also used to verify the authenticity of products.

“To eliminate the sale of spurious liquor, prevent smuggling from other States and ensure the proper payment of excise duty on Indian Made Foreign Spirits (IMFS), beer and wine bottles produced by manufacturing units, the government have introduced foolproof excise labels replacing traditional paper labels”, sources from Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) said. The monopoly agency in selling liquor in the State.

Explaining the features of the latest polyester-based hologram excise labels, a senior official from Tasmac told DT Next that high-security master labels made at a resolution up to 1,20,000 Dots Per Inch (DPI), which shall provide various features including 3D image, multilevel animation effect and concealed animated image or text, will be used. “Unlike with the previous measures, the liquor bottles will also be tracked through the new label initiative”, he claimed.

Stating that a tender had already been floated to procure 30 crore excise labels, he said in 2023–24, the state government had earned a net revenue of Rs 25.03 crore from the sale of excise labels. “This year, it is expected to increase to more than Rs 30 crore”, he said.

The Tasmac official added that once the tender process is over, the selected company will supply the samples of hologram excise labels, which would be subjected to technical evaluation to ascertain whether the label excise department conforms to all the technical specifications indicated.