Ahmedabad:: The Gujarat government on Friday allowed people working at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar and their official guests to consume alcohol in licensed hotels, restaurants and clubs in the fintech hub, a government statement issued on Friday said. Under these provisions, hotels in GIFT City can serve alcohol but can’t sell liquor bottles.

“GIFT City has emerged as a global financial and technological hub which is bustling with economic activities. An important decision has been taken on Friday to change rules to allow `wine and dine’ facilities in the GIFT City area to provide a global business ecosystem to global investors, technical experts and national and international companies,” Gujarat’s prohibition department said in a statement.

The first request to exempt GIFT City from prohibition was made in September 2020, underlining the need to cultivate an evening social life in GIFT City and aligning it with the social experiences enjoyed by professionals in other financial and technology hubs in India and internationally.

An official familiar with the matter emphasized that GIFT City is a global project and should adhere to international business standards. “Such rules were previously applicable only to Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and SEZ employees, and the new notification represents a progressive step,” the official said.

The new rules allow authorized visitors from the company concerned to consume liquor in hotels, restaurants, and clubs with temporary permits in “wine and dine” areas, provided permanent employees of the company are also present, the government order said.

Hotels, restaurants, and clubs located in or coming to GIFT City will be able to obtain an FL3 license for wine and dine facilities.