India has decided to keep its ban on e-cigarettes. However, this decision has come as a setback for Philip Morris International (PMI), which has been trying hard to bring heat-not-burn tobacco products like IQOS into the Indian market.
Even though India is the world's seventh-largest cigarette market, it is sticking to its tobacco control measures. The country claims these measures are based on evidence and rejects the tobacco company's attempts to link IQOS with lower health risks compared to regular smoking.
India banned e-cigarettes, including heated tobacco products, in 2019. With over 100 billion cigarettes sold each year, it is the seventh-largest cigarette market by volume, reported Reuters. Tobacco use leads to more than a million deaths annually in the country.
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India not considering revoking ban
The world's most valuable tobacco company, Philip Morris, has opened a new tab. The firm hoped India could be an important market for its heated tobacco device, IQOS, which it claims is less harmful to health than smoking, as reported by Reuters.
"The government of India is not considering revoking, amending, or relaxing this ban," the Health Ministry said in response to Reuters inquiries about the lobbying by Philip Morris.
"India remains committed to evidence-based tobacco control and cessation measures," it stated, adding that the law on e-cigarettes clearly prohibits heat-not-burn devices, and that will not change.
A Reuters review of confidential company letters from 2021 to 2025 shows that the Marlboro-maker privately lobbied high-ranking Indian officials and a parliamentary panel to look into the science behind products like IQOS, study it, and exempt heat-not-burn items from the ban.
Setback for Philip Morris
Philip Morris executives met with several state government officials in Davos in January to talk about how the company can create long-term value in the tobacco sector with products like IQOS, as reported by Reuters. A spokesperson for Philip Morris did not respond to the Ministry's statement but mentioned that the company regularly talks with governments worldwide, including at major international events like Davos, to discuss how smoke-free products can significantly improve public health.
In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Jacek Olczak, the company's chief executive, said he had spoken with various people in India. He added that it was illogical for the market to be closed to alternatives like heated tobacco and vapes while cigarettes remain available.
It is, however, unclear if any other company is trying to influence India regarding the ban on e-cigarettes. Philip Morris claims it holds 76 per cent of the global market for heated tobacco products.
India's current ban aligns with global health recommendations
New Delhi's position is based on a strong public health framework. India has pursued tough tobacco control measures for a long time. This includes the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) of 2003 and following the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
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In 2019, the nation banned e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) as part of this agenda. It prohibited their production, import, sale and advertising.
This proactive regulatory approach places India among at least 18 countries that have banned HTPs as of 2023. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies heated tobacco products as tobacco products. It urges all FCTC signatory countries to regulate them strictly and emphasises that they are not harmless and may contain higher levels of toxins.
India's current ban aligns with these global health recommendations. It creates a strong barrier for products like PMI's IQOS, which has faced scrutiny over its health claims.
