7 Best Cigarettes Brands in India

Are you familiar with the best cigarettes brands in India?

Looking back through history, we can see that smoking in India was firstly used for medical purposes. It was prescribed in Ayurveda, which is a collection of alternative practices and therapies in medicine. In literal translation, it means ‘life knowledge’. It was thought that smoking of cannabis could calm anxiety and stress, and this practice was used over 3000 years. Then, tobacco was introduced to Indians in the 17th century. Nowadays, when cigarettes’ negative effects are widely known, India is also one of the countries where smoking in public places is prohibited, from 2008. However, it is considered as a country which still has a big number of smokers.

According to World Health Organization, there is a big difference in smoking habits with males and females in India. It is estimated that 47.9% of males smoke any kind of tobacco, while the percentage of females is half less, with 20.3%. Most of the Indian population smokes Bidi (16%). It is a thin cigarette filled with tobacco and wrapped in a leaf of one of the flowering trees called Diospyros melanoxylon. It tends to be associated with a lower social standing, and it is often called ‘poor man’s cigarette’. Right behind bidi, regular cigarettes are used by 10.3% of Indians (percentage of adults age 15 and above). Others use smokeless and more natural products such as Khaini, Gutkha, Betel quid with tobacco and many more.

Major players in Indian cigarette industry are Imperial Tobacco Co. of India (ITC) with 72% of market share, Godfrey Phillips (India) Ltd. with 12% and Golden Tobacco Ltd. (G.T.C.) and Vazir Sultan Tobacco Industries Ltd. with both 8%. Moreover, India is the second largest producer of tobacco products in the world, whereas Russia and Belgium are leading destinations for Indian tobacco exports. However, big amount of cigarettes in India are also sold illegally. It is fourth largest illegal cigarette market in the world.

By the way, you can watch the video below to find out 7 cigarette brands that contain the lowest tar and nicotine.

From our previous research of 10 Best Selling Cigarette Brands in India, we can see that ITC Ltd is the number one cigarette industry. What’s more, it has the biggest number of popular brands. Its annual sale is estimated to be around $57 billion! As ITC has 72% of Indian selling cigarettes, we decided to rank its brands as they are the most smoked cigarettes in this country. We consulted many sources such as Wys Wyg, Live Mint and World Blaze in order to compare the most popular ITC brands and their prices. Having in mind that the most expensive cigarettes are usually the most qualitative ones, we ranked them from the lowest price to the top one. For those brands who shared the same price, we gave priority to those with higher popularity. The prices could be seen in rupees as well as in dollars. Let’ s begin with our list of best cigarettes brands in India. 

7. Navy Cut

Price: Rs 100 = $1.54

The cheapest cigarette brands in our selection is Navy Cut. It was the first brand in India that introduced filters. Its reach on the market was developing slowly, as they had to convince the public that they are as good as the ones without the filter. Besides that, they were also pioneers in bringing limited edition packages, which was a good marketing trick to boost the selling rate.

6. Lucky Strike

Price: Rs 110 = $1.69

These cigarettes are famous for using roasted tobacco rather than the one dried in the sun, which gives them full flavor and special taste. Among many kinds, such as menthol and other flavors, preferred ones are regular. They have been mostly favored by women smokers.

5. Bristol

Price: Rs 170=$2.61

Bristol, the next one on the list of best cigarettes brands in India has many versions such as Virginia Filter and Wills Filter. They differ in sizes of filter and strength. Tobacco importer and cigarette manufacturer is industry W.D. & H.O. Wills formed in Bristol, England. They are definitely one of the most affordable cigarettes brands in India.

4. Classic Filter Kings

Price: Rs 246= $3.79

This brand is considered as very trendy, easily approachable and with a dynamic history behind itself. Classic was introduced to India in 1979, and throughout the time it changed many variants. Then, the emerging of Wills and Classic happened, and from that duo, they developed Wills Classic Mild. In the 2000s, Classic also launched many different flavors such as Classic Tangy Twist and Classic Citric Twist. It uses very qualitative imported paper and its slogan is: “Discover a passion”.

3. Gold Flake Kings

Price: Rs250= $3.85

This brand that ranked third on our list of best cigarettes brands in India was launched in India in the sixties. From 2013, it is mostly targeted for young smokers, and in addition, they have many types of menthol and light cigarettes. ITC has launched its smallest size of 64mm and 10 cigarettes per pack. Its famous slogans were: “Celebrate the feeling” and “For the gracious people”.

Price: Rs250= $3.85

India Kings were, before Insignia, most premium cigarette brand of ITC. To show its exclusivity, the regular cigarette package is in gold, while the light version could be found in the blue color.

1. Insignia

Price: Rs300= $4.62

On the top of our list of best cigarettes brands in India is Insignia. It is one of the most expensive cigarettes in this country, and they are at par with some of the most luxury international brands such as Sobranie, Dunhill, and Cartier. It was launched in 2003, when it replaced India Kings as the company’s premier smoke. They have a very attractive black package, which is perfect for classy smokers.