A new industry update from the EU-ASEAN Business Council highlights the continued scale of illicit tobacco trade in India and across Southeast Asia, underscoring growing concerns over smuggling, counterfeit products, and unregulated nicotine markets. According to the Tobacco Institute of India (TII), illicit cigarettes account for nearly one-quarter of India’s domestic cigarette market, resulting in estimated annual revenue losses of around Rs. 23,000 crore ($2.4 billion). The report coincides with World Anti–Counterfeiting Day remarks from Philip Morris India, which reiterated calls for stronger enforcement and industry collaboration to combat illegal tobacco flows.
Broader regional data from EU-ABC and Euromonitor International show the illicit tobacco market across ASEAN-6 generated an estimated $12.6 billion over 2024–2025, with illicit cigarette volumes rising 14% and illicit e-vape sales increasing 24% in the past year. Additional intelligence cited in the update points to a rapidly expanding global illicit nicotine ecosystem, including a multi-billion-dollar illegal e-cigarette market, alongside continued enforcement actions in India such as large-scale seizures of prohibited vaping devices and cigarette shipments. PM India said the findings reinforce the need for stronger track-and-trace systems, cross-border enforcement, and coordinated policy responses to curb the growing black market.
