Chandigarh, 9th September 2025 – The Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (RCTC), PGIMER Chandigarh, in collaboration with Vital Strategies, organized a high-level virtual National Webinar titled “Towards a Tobacco-Free India: The Role of Taxation in Curbing the Epidemic”. The event brought together distinguished experts, researchers, policymakers, and senior leaders from 10 national institutes—including AIIMS, NICPR, ICMR, NIOH, and NIIR-NCD—to deliberate on the critical role of tobacco taxation in reducing tobacco consumption and strengthening public health outcomes in India.
Prof. Sonu Goel, Director of RCTC, welcomed participants and emphasized that the webinar was organized at a pivotal moment, following the Government of India’s recent reforms in tobacco taxation policy. He noted that the session aimed to provide clarity amidst fragmented media reports and misinformation surrounding the new tax rates, particularly addressing misleading claims about uniform tax hikes and the reduction in GST on bidis. Dr. L. Swasticharan, Deputy Director General (DDG), MoHFW, Government of India, appreciated the efforts of RCTC in organizing the webinar and underlined taxation as one of the most cost-effective “best buys” for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and tobacco control. Dr.P.C.Gupta, Director Healis-Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health,Mumbai emphasised that without targeted reforms and uniform tax rates across all tobacco products, the full potential of tobacco taxation as a public health intervention will remain unreleased. Dr. Rana J. Singh from Vital Strategies further emphasized that Article 6 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) represents the single most effective tobacco control strategy. He called for evidence-based implementation and sustained stakeholder’s commitment to strengthen the taxation framework.
The technical sessions offered an in-depth exploration of tobacco taxation history and existing policy gaps. Dr. Upendra Bhojani traced the evolution of tobacco taxation from Mughal-era levies to the complex excise system of modern India, culminating in the introduction of GST in 2017. Dr. Rijo John presented evidence from a joint study, showing that while GST reforms modestly reduced smokeless tobacco and bidi use, the recent proposal to lower bidi taxes from 28% to 18% threatens public health, given bidis’ widespread use among low-income populations.
The high-level panel discussion featured distinguished directors and experts including Prof. Saurabh Varshney, Prof. Ashutosh Biswas, Prof. Meenu Singh, Dr. Madhabananda Kar, Dr. Bhavesh Modi, Dr. Shalini Singh, and Dr. Pankaj Bhardwaj. The panelists unanimously agreed that tobacco taxation should be treated primarily as a public health intervention, rather than a revenue-generation tool. Their key recommendations included implementing uniform taxation across all tobacco products by eliminating differential tax rates, closing GST loopholes, and preventing tax reductions on cheaper products like bidis. They further recommended reinvesting tax revenues into cessation services, community health programs, and supporting alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers, along with enhancing intersectoral coordination between the health and finance departments. Additionally, they stressed the need for strong advocacy and translational research to effectively counter industry interference.
Experts highlighted that tobacco remains one of the leading preventable causes of death globally, responsible for more than 8 million lives lost annually. They stressed taxation as the most effective, evidence-based strategy to reduce tobacco use, particularly among youth and low-income populations, while also contributing to government revenue for health and social development programs. Dr. Pankaj Bhardwaj remarked, “The recent tax reduction on bidis leads to detrimental health outcomes or burden in the poorest segment of the society.It is crucial to narrow the tax gap between cigarettes and bidis and provide cessation services alongside taxation measures.”
Beyond taxation, the expert discussions emphasized the importance of complementary tobacco control measures, including clear health warnings, standardized packaging, campus-level tobacco-free policies, regulation of points of sale, and accessible cessation services.
The National Webinar was attended by approximately 400 participants from across India, including state nodal officers, civil society representatives, and researchers. The event concluded with a broad consensus that a comprehensive, evidence-driven approach integrating taxation, prevention, cessation, and implementation is key to supporting India’s ambition of achieving a tobacco-free future.
