Ahmedabad, Dec 23: The Gujarat government has further relaxed liquor consumption rules at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar, allowing non-Gujaratis and foreign nationals to consume alcohol at designated hotels and restaurants by simply showing a valid photo identity card.
The changes, notified by the state Home Department through a gazette notification issued on December 20, do away with the earlier requirement of obtaining a temporary permit for outsiders to consume liquor at the financial hub.
Gujarat is a “dry state” where the manufacture, sale and consumption of liquor are prohibited under law. However, the state government carved out an exemption for GIFT City in 2023, permitting the sale and consumption of alcohol within its central business district under specified conditions to support its development as a global financial centre.
As per the latest notification, any “external person” — defined as a non-resident of Gujarat — or a foreign national can now consume liquor at designated facilities in GIFT City by presenting a valid photo ID card. The move eliminates the earlier condition under which such visitors were required to obtain temporary permits.
The government has also eased restrictions on the areas where liquor can be served and consumed. Earlier, consumption was allowed only in designated wine-and-dine areas of hotels or restaurants licensed to sell liquor within GIFT City. Under the revised rules, alcohol can now be consumed in other areas as well, including lawns, poolside spaces and terraces of permitted establishments.
The notification also clarifies that any person visiting a restaurant for food is allowed to sit in the wine-and-dine area.
In another provision, employees of GIFT City who hold a “Liquor Access Permit” have been allowed to host up to 25 visitors at a time at designated places. Such visitors will be issued temporary permits, provided the host employee accompanies them, it said.
The latest relaxation is aimed at making GIFT City more attractive for global businesses, professionals and visitors, while retaining Gujarat’s broader prohibition framework outside the special financial zone.
