India's Parliament Approves Increased Tobacco Excise Duty Bill Aligning With WHO Standards

Dec 05, 2025 02:16 am CST

India's Parliament has approved the Central Excise Amendment Bill 2025, raising tobacco taxation from 53% toward WHO's recommended 75% benchmark. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed the revenue will be shared with states while assuring support for tobacco farmers and beedi workers through existing welfare schemes and crop diversification programs.