India is the world’s 2nd largest producer of tobacco with an estimated annual production of around 870 million kgs. Tobacco occupies a meagre 0.24% of the country’s total arable land area. It is grown largely in semi-arid and rain-fed areas where the cultivation of alternative crops is economically unviable.
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Agriculture Statistics at a Glance 2023, Ministry of Agriculture & farmers Welfare, GoI
Tobacco is grown in the following 13 States in India:
- Andhra Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chhattisgarh
- Gujarat
- Karnataka
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Odisha
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Uttar Pradesh
- West Bengal
Different varieties of cigarette & non-cigarette tobaccos are grown in India, these are as follows:
| Cigarette Tobacco production |
|---|
| A. FCV Tobacco |
B. Non-FCV Tobacco
|
| Non-Cigarette Tobacco production |
|---|
| Bidi Tobacco |
| Hookah Tobacco |
| Chewing Tobaccos |
| Others |
India’s tobacco production pattern is, however, not aligned to world tobacco production:
Source: Universal Leaf, Tobacco Board, Government of India & ITGA
The disparity in tobacco production pattern in India vis-à-vis world is due to a unique pattern of tobacco consumption in India dominated by non-Cigarette products.
India is A Major Producer of FCV tobacco in the world
In India, production of Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco – a variety used in Cigarettes, accounts for around 30% of total tobacco produced in the country. India produced 304 million kgs of FCV tobacco in 2023-24.
Source: Tobacco Board, Govt. of India & Universal Leaf, Crop & Market Report – October 2024
This variety of tobacco is grown in only three States in India viz. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. Studies conducted by the Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI), Rajahmundry, have shown that FCV tobacco is more remunerative than other crops grown in the region, and is difficult to substitute.
