Tasmac’s Deepavali sales touch ₹441 crore amid POS machine glitches

The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) announced that sales of alcohol during the Deepavali period reached about ₹441 crore, a figure that reflects strong consumer demand during the festival season. The corporation operates a network of retail outlets that sell Indian Made Foreign Liquor and Indian Made Indian Liquor, and the surge in purchases helped boost the state's fiscal receipts at a time when public finances are under pressure. The total includes both spirits and beer sold through licensed shops, and the numbers are higher than the same period last year.

In the capital city of Chennai, sales were recorded at ₹95.85 crore, making it the top‑performing zone. The Tiruchirappalli zone followed closely with ₹98.97 crore, while the Madurai zone contributed ₹88.38 crore. Together these three regions accounted for more than two‑thirds of the total revenue, underscoring the importance of urban markets in the state's alcohol distribution network. The strong performance also translated into higher excise duty collections, which the state government relies on to fund health, education and infrastructure projects.

Despite the impressive figures, many customers experienced delays because point‑of‑sale (POS) terminals malfunctioned in several outlets. The glitches caused long queues and occasional loss of sales data, prompting Tasmac officials to issue an advisory urging shoppers to be patient and to use cash where possible. The corporation has pledged to replace faulty equipment before the next major festival and to improve its digital infrastructure to avoid similar disruptions in the future. For consumers, the incident highlighted the need for reliable payment systems in high‑traffic retail environments.