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 two States in India viz. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Studies conducted by the National Institute for Research on Commercial Agriculture(NICRA; previously known as Central Tobacco Research Institute), Rajahmundry, have shown that FCV tobacco is more remunerative than other crops grown in the region, and is difficult to substitute.
