What is the legal age to drink alcohol in India?

actually alcohol policy is under legislative power of the state .It ACTUALLY MATTERS FROM STATE TO STATE.tHE MINIMUM AGE OF PURCHASING ALCOHOL differs from state to state.I tottally agree wid mr dharmesh and i think that there is no relevant source  but this is what which is being in practice !!!1

Dear Siddharth, for PURCHASE of alcohol, the states are havind their own laws prescibing the minimum age. As for as drinking is concerned,there is no such law in force prohibiting the same. Regards.

Here purchase and drinking r not similar words....

I find from Wikipedia, the drinking / purchase age for alchohol purposes in India varies between states from 18 - 25 years (in Delhi it is 25 years) and the consumption of alchohol is prohibited in the states of Manipur, Mizoram and Gujarat. (Source: "Minimum Drinking and Purchasing Age Laws". International Center for Alcohol Policies. May 2009. https://www.icap.org/Table/MinimumAgeLimitsWorldwide. Retrieved January 15, 2010).

@MR vijay kumar,mr soni,mr rao

Im with u nw....:)

BESIDES,  ALL THE PREJUDICED  OPINIONS,  CONSIDER THIS :

1.  There is no age bar for anybody (minor, major, beggar, politician, leper)   "TO PURCHASE"   alcohol, till you are caught.

HOWEVER,  here the question is restricted to   "legal age to drink alcohol"

2.  Well,  all the State excise departments issue a  "liquor cum drinking permit",  based on a prescribed form.  This  photo-permit  is   "ISSUED ONLY & ONLY TO"    persons who are above "25" years of age,  under  "Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949" .

3.  The above permit entitles you to  "LEGALLY DRINK"  or hold upto 2 liters of alcohol.

4.  Drinking alcohol anywhere (house, temple, brothel, hotel, parliament ....)  is a criminal offence punishable with fine and/or simple imprisonment,  under the State Police Act  and the Laws under the Excise Dept.,  BUT THAT IS  "IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A  "DRINKING PREMIT",  issued by the competent authority.

5.  SO NOW,  technically speaking, based on above explainations,  AND since  "drinking permit"  is NOT  issued to persons below 25 years of age,   IT IS  "LEGALLY"  SAFE TO SAY THAT THE "legal age to drink alcohol"  is 25 years,  subject to holding a "drinking permit".

6.  HOWEVER,  if you are above the age of 25 years "OR ANY AGE" and not holding  "drinking permit"  (as above),  THEN  you may drink to your gut's limit,    AND if you are caught by the Police-men,  THEN you can always bribe them out   .OR.   pay the prescribed fine     .OR.   safely drink inside the prison. alongwith the police-men..

hic..... hic .... hic .... hicccc.... hiccup .... hiczzuz .... hizzzzzz ....zzzz .... zzzzzzzz .... zzzz.

Keep Smiling .... Hemant Agarwal