The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Taxation in India

India is unique in the range of tobacco products that are available at different price points, targeted at populations with substantial differences in socioeconomic and demographic profiles. Tobacco is consumed in a variety of forms, from smoking tobacco products like bidis* and cigarettes to several types of chewing tobacco. There are considerable differences in the taxes imposed on each of these product categories. Tobacco taxes are low overall in India, and are especially low for the products consumed most widely.

This report reviews current research on the economics of tobacco taxation in India and makes recommendations for tobacco tax policy.

March 2010

Location(s): Asia, India

Content Type: Report

Topic(s): Economic impacts of tobacco control, Impact on the poor, Tax and price, Tax levels and structure, Tobacco use

Authors(s): Rijo M. John, Ph.D, Kavita Rao, M. Govinda Rao, James Moore, R.S. Deshpande, Jhumur Sengupta, Sakthivel Selvaraj, Frank J. Chaloupka, Ph.D., Prabhat Jha

Citation

Tobacconomics is directed by Jeffrey Drope, PhD. It was founded by Frank Chaloupka, PhD, at the Institute for Health Research and Policy at the University of Illinois Chicago. This website was originally developed with support from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (Grant No. U01-CA154248) as part of the NCI State and Community Tobacco Control Research Initiative. The contents of this Web site are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. Privacy Policy