From ₹18 to  ₹72: Cigarette prices likely to rise in India, Internet debate whether it  will actually stop smokers

Cigarette prices in India are set to soar after Parliament cleared the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The bill, introduced by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, revises excise duties on a range of tobacco products, from cigarettes and cigars to hookah and chewing tobacco.

Under the amendment, cigarette duties will spike from the current Rs 200-735 per 1,000 sticks to Rs 2,700–11,000, depending on type and length. Duties on chewing tobacco will quadruple from 25% to 100%, hookah tobacco will rise from 25% to 40%, and smoking mixtures could see a fivefold jump, from 60% to 300%. Officials estimate a cigarette priced at Rs 18 today could soon cost up to Rs 72.

The hike has triggered mixed reactions online. “As a smoker myself, I like this decision... I might be able to quit as well,” said one Reddit user. Others were skeptical or defiant, with one noting, “Smokers are desperate and this change will not affect many of us.”

Some saw it as government overreach. “I hate this ‘Big Brother’ approach,” one user commented. Meanwhile, others took a lighter view, with remarks like “Bidi peene ka time aagaya hai” and “Main toh Delhi ki hawa me jee leta hu, FREE FREE FREE.”