Alcohol-delivery startup HipBar has secured investment of Rs 27 crores from Diageo India. Diageo is present in India through its subsidiary United Spirits Limited, which sells alcohol brands like VAT69, Black Dog, Black Label, Smirnoff, Signature, Johnnie Walker, Antiquity, Royal Challenge, McDowell’s No.1 amongst others. With this investment, Diageo has acquired a 26% equity stakes in HipBar. HipBar allows users to reserve alcohol and pay for it via its own wallet, and get it delivered at their doorstep or pick it up from a retail store nearby. The service which is currently only available in Bengaluru claims to offer delivery of spirits, wines and beers between 2 PM and 10 PM. The company seems to be unsure about how to label itself as its FAQ page says that "HipBar is an RBI-authorized mobile wallet for alcoholic beverages," but the first line on its Press Kit says that "HipBar is India’s first, legitimate drinks delivery app." Payment for the deliveries can only be made via HipBar's own mobile wallet, and wallet users have to comply to KYC norms, on paper this should add another layer of verification to prevent delivery to underage consumers. In its terms of use, the company says that before handing over of the products to a user, the merchant or its authorized agents validates the identity through a biometric (fingerprint) authentication process using Aadhaar. And, "if Aadhaar card isn't available, any government-recognised, original documents shall be accepted for age verification purposes - Driving License, Passport, PAN Card or Voter ID." The company works…
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