India Upholds E-Cigarette Ban, Rejects Philip Morris’ Push

India has reaffirmed its ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, rejecting lobbying by Philip Morris International to allow its IQOS device in the country. The government cited its commitment to evidence-based tobacco control, emphasizing that heat-not-burn devices remain explicitly prohibited under existing law. India, the seventh-largest cigarette market, faces over a million tobacco-related deaths annually.

Philip Morris had sought to position India as a key market for IQOS, arguing the device is less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Confidential letters from 2021–2025 reveal the company lobbied officials and parliamentary panels, proposing scientific reviews and presentations by global experts to support its case. CEO Jacek Olczak described India’s stance as “illogical,” noting the market allows cigarettes but not alternatives like IQOS or vapes.

Despite PMI’s efforts, including outreach at international forums such as Davos, India’s health authorities remain firm. The Indian Council of Medical Research confirmed it has no plans to study heated tobacco products. Philip Morris, which commands 76% of the global heated tobacco market, continues to expand its cigarette share in India, but IQOS faces no immediate prospect of legal entry.

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