Regulatory report: India (state level) oral tobacco and nicotine pouches, July 2021

India, the second-most populous country worldwide, is a federal parliamentary constitutional republic. It currently has 28 states and eight union territories, with several disputed territories with neighbouring countries.

As noted in our national report, Indian policymakers tend to prohibit any new tobacco and nicotine products, for they are considered a threat to public health; this can be seen from their ban on heated tobacco and e-cigarettes. While national law has not explicitly banned oral tobacco products, and most states have followed guidance and introduced a ban on activities such as manufacture, storage and sale of products such as gutka or pan masala.