ONLINE food delivery firms Zomato and Swiggy have started home-delivery of liquor in India amid the COVID-19 lockdown. The service started in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.
Recently, India’s supreme court has directed states to consider home-delivery of liquor during the lockdown.
The Jharkhand government has collaborated with the two food delivery services to deliver liquor at people’s doorsteps. Both Zomato and Swiggy will deliver alcohol in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Bokaro in collaboration with the Jharkhand government.
People will have the option to book alcohol via the Zomato and Swiggy food delivery apps.
“With due permissions and licences in place, we are starting home delivery of alcohol in Jharkhand. We believe that a technology-enabled home delivery based solution can enable the responsible consumption of alcohol as well as provide an option that’s safer and promotes social distancing,” said Zomato in a statement.
Initially, it will go live in Ranchi and seven other cities in Jharkhand over the next couple of days, the company said.
Apart from delivering food, Swiggy and Zomato began delivering groceries to people at home during the lockdown period.
Meanwhile, in New Delhi people can go for an e-token to buy liquor with ease via the retail stores. Users simply need to head to the government-created website ‘ www.qtoken.in’ to get e-tokens.
The e-token will provide users with a time slot within which they can head to the nearest liquor store and get some with less crowd. Many other states in the country are also considering such options, reports said.
Activists and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) clash with police personnel during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET examination irregularities in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. India's riot police baton-charged protesters in New Delhi as they tried to march to parliament on July 20, escalating a protest over irregularities in major examinations.Getty Images
A police personnel fires tear gas shells to disperse activists and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET examination irregularities in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. India's riot police baton-charged protesters in New Delhi as they tried to march to parliament on July 20, escalating a protest over irregularities in major examinations.Getty Images
Protesters gather as they take part in a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar during the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session on July 20, 2026 in New Delhi, India. A mix of protesters gathered in New Delhi on Monday as discontent bubbled over myriad issues, and as Sonam Wangchuk, an activist who was fasting in protest, was forcibly taken to hospital on Sunday. Getty Images
Opposition leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC) party Rahul Gandhi (C back) and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (C) stage a sit-in protest calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation outside the latter's residence in New Delhi on July 21, 2026, a day after police crackdown against the protesting Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters demanding the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down over alleged NEET examination irregularities.Getty Images
Protesters stand amid debris strewn across a road during clashes with police at a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session on July 20, 2026 in New Delhi, India. A mix of protesters gathered in New Delhi on Monday as discontent bubbled over myriad issues, and as Sonam Wangchuk, an activist who was fasting in protest, was forcibly taken to hospital on Sunday.Getty Images
