About Tobacco Board of India

• It is established under the Tobacco Board Act, 1975, operational from January 1, 1976.
• It functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It is headquartered in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
• Objective: To promote the orderly development of India’s tobacco industry, especially in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
• Functions:
  • Regulates the production, curing, grading, and marketing of Virginia tobacco (Flue-Cured Virginia and Burley).
  • Issues licenses and registrations for growers, manufacturers, exporters, and dealers.
  • Collaborates with research institutes to develop new crop varieties and improve farming practices.
  • Engages in market promotion, price stabilization, and quality control to protect farmers and maintain fair trade.

About the Tobacco Production and Trade

India

• Tobacco is drought-tolerant, hardy, and short-duration, cultivable on soils where other crops are less profitable.
• It is grown on 0.45 million hectares, accounting for 0.27% of India’s net cultivated area.
  • India produces around 750 million kilograms of tobacco leaf annually.
• India is the second-largest producer globally (after China) and second-largest exporter (after Brazil).
• About 300 million kg of Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco is produced on 0.20 million ha, while 450 million kg of non-FCV varieties come from 0.25 million ha.
• India contributes 10% of global tobacco acreage and 9% of world tobacco production