India maintains its ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco

The Indian government has confirmed it will not weaken its regulations banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, rejecting insistent requests from Philip Morris International to authorize its so-called "smoke-free" devices.«[1] on the market. This decision represents a setback for the tobacco company, while illustrating an orientation consistent with public health principles, based on preventing the tobacco epidemic with supply control excluding the multiplication and diversification of new nicotine products.

A strict legal framework has been upheld in the face of industrial pressures.

Since 2019, India has enacted the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, which completely bans electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco devices in the country. This legislation prohibits the production, import, distribution, sale, and promotion of these products throughout the territory. It also provides for criminal and financial penalties for non-compliance, reflecting a strong political will to prevent the emergence of a new nicotine market, particularly among young people.

When recently questioned about a possible revision of this system, the government explicitly stated that no relaxation of the rules was being considered. Health authorities reaffirmed that the priority remains the overall reduction of tobacco consumption and the protection of vulnerable populations, rather than the introduction of products presented as "alternatives" whose long-term effects remain uncertain. This position is based on the observation that diversifying the range of nicotine products complicates prevention strategies, encourages non-smokers to start using these products (with potential co-consumption and gateway effects), and delays the complete cessation of smoking.

This maintenance of the status quo comes in a worrying epidemiological context. The country has tens of millions of tobacco users and records more than one million preventable premature deaths annually attributable to smoking. For public authorities, opening the market to new devices risks increasing nicotine addiction across the population and jeopardizing the expected gains of public health policies.

Continued pressure from tobacco company Philip Morris International in response to the ban

In recent years, PMI has intensified its efforts with Indian authorities to obtain a revision of the legislation banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The company has increased its communication, scientific, and institutional initiatives to gain access to the market for its heated tobacco and vaping products.

PMI's actions included regular contact with government representatives, public health officials, and policymakers in India. According to internal documents leaked to the press, the company offered detailed information sessions on its products, debates with industry-funded international experts, and comparative analyses aimed at positioning its devices, particularly its flagship product IQOS, as harm-reducing alternatives to combustible cigarettes. These proposals were submitted to various ministries and advisory committees in the hope of prompting a reassessment of existing policy.

Simultaneously, PMI sought to influence public and scientific dialogue by funding or supporting research initiatives on heated tobacco products, while highlighting results deemed favorable to its marketing arguments. The company also requested bilateral meetings at international events and visits from senior officials to facilitate direct exchanges with Indian policymakers. These efforts are part of a broader tobacco industry strategy to promote its alternatives internationally while adapting its lobbying practices to varying levels of local restrictions.

Despite the intensity and diversity of these lobbying efforts, the Indian authorities have not changed their position. The government has rejected the exemption requests outright. This government rejection constitutes a significant setback for PMI, for whom access to the Indian market represents a major economic stake given the size of the smoking population and the dynamics of the tobacco market in the country.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Aditya Kalra, Emma Rumney, Exclusive: India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris, Reuters, published on February 11, 2026, accessed the same day