New Delhi: India has reaffirmed its strict ban on e-cigarettes, including heat-not-burn tobacco products, rejecting lobbying efforts by Philip Morris International (PMI) to allow such devices in the country. The government’s decision ends a multi-year campaign by PMI, maker of the heated tobacco device IQOS, to gain regulatory approval in one of the world’s largest cigarette markets.
India banned e-cigarettes in 2019, citing public health concerns. With over 100 billion cigarettes sold annually and more than a million tobacco-related deaths each year, the government emphasized that it will continue evidence-based tobacco control and cessation measures. The health ministry clarified that the law explicitly prohibits heat-not-burn devices and that there are no plans to amend or relax the ban.
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Documents reviewed by Reuters show that PMI actively lobbied Indian officials and a parliamentary panel between 2021 and 2025, urging regulators to review scientific data on IQOS and other smoking alternatives. PMI executives also met state officials at international forums like Davos, promoting their products as less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes.
India Rejects Research on E-Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products
Despite PMI’s efforts, including letters proposing involvement of global tobacco experts and former US FDA officials, India’s Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed it will not conduct research on heated tobacco products. PMI CEO Jacek Olczak criticized India’s stance, calling it “illogical” to allow cigarettes but not smoking alternatives.
Globally, IQOS has more than 35 million users and is considered by some regulators, such as the US FDA, to potentially reduce harm if used instead of cigarettes. However, the World Health Organization has warned of the risks associated with heated tobacco ( e-cigarettes) . In India, the 2019 ban also restricted products from companies like Juul.
Philip Morris currently holds a 76% share of the global heated tobacco market and had a 7.6% share of India’s cigarette market in 2024, up from 1.75% in 2019. Analysts say an Indian launch of IQOS could have significantly expanded the company’s market presence.