Think doing business in India is hard? Try getting a drink after work

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: In Gujarat, one of India’s states with strict alcohol bans, new bars have recently opened within the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), but entry requires extensive permits
• Locals describe the process as more complicated than buying property, with multiple layers of paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles even for a single drink
• The development highlights India’s complex and often contradictory relationship with alcohol regulation

🔭 The context: Several Indian states, including Gujarat, Bihar, and Nagaland, enforce partial or total prohibition, rooted in cultural, religious, and political traditions
• Yet, demand for alcohol is widespread, creating tension between regulation, enforcement, and economic opportunity
• The opening of bars in GIFT City — a flagship financial hub — signals a partial relaxation to attract global investors and workers, but access remains heavily restricted for residents

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: India’s fragmented alcohol policies illustrate broader challenges of balancing cultural values, governance, and economic modernization
• Strict prohibition often fuels black markets, with environmental and health risks linked to unsafe illicit alcohol production
• Heavily regulated hospitality sectors can constrain urban development and global competitiveness in cities meant to be international business hubs

⏭️ What's next: Authorities may face pressure to further liberalize alcohol laws in financial zones to attract foreign investment and talent
• However, any broader policy shift is likely to meet resistance from political and cultural groups advocating prohibition
• The trajectory will reveal how India reconciles economic ambitions with deep-rooted social norms in its regulatory landscape.

💬 One quote: “For a small beer can, I need to suffer so much,” — Ashutosh Singh, a local banker who recently secured one of the coveted permits

📈 One stat: India’s alcohol industry is valued at $52 billion, yet more than 10 states enforce some form of prohibition or strict regulation, limiting legal access for hundreds of millions of people

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