India, March 7 -- The Uttar Pradesh excise department on Thursday successfully conducted an e-lottery in Greater Noida for the allocation of 501 liquor shops for the financial year 2025-26 (Phase 1), officials said. At least 18,229 applicants vied for liquor shop licences in one of Uttar Pradesh's most competitive liquor markets, at the event held at the district collectorate in Surajpur at 4pm, officials added.

According to excise department data, certain areas in Gautam Budh Nagar saw an exceptionally high number of applications, indicating strong market viability and revenue potential. These include Naya Gaon where 202 applications were received, Devla with 108 applications and Yakubpur with 100 applications, for country liquor shops....