A sharp increase in excise duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in Maharashtra has triggered an outcry from industry leaders, who warn that the hike could upend the state's alcohol ecosystem. The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) cautions that the new policy—raising the duty to 4.5 times the manufacturing cost—may inflate retail prices by up to 85%, discouraging legal sales, promoting illicit trade, and destabilizing the market.