The Times of India

Smoke break to get pricier: Cigarettes to get costlier from February 1 as new excise duty kicks in

Starting February 1, India implements a new excise duty regime for cigarettes based on length, alongside a health cess on pan masala and tobacco products. This marks the first significant tax increase in seven years, aligning India's tobacco taxation closer to global public health norms and replacing the GST compensation cess framework.