Need Changes in Regulation to Sell Smoke-free Products Here
US Tobacco co says it's not only eyeing the unaddressed Indian market but also the untapped talent pool.
US tobacco MNC Philip Morris International is pushing for regulatory changes in India to allow the maker of Marlboro cigarettes to invest in India besides launching its smoke-free products.
«In India, we are engaging with the government… we really would love to have a regulatory environment in India where we could bring these products to the people that are smoking here,» said Frederic de Wilde, President South and Southeast Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Middle East and Africa Region at Philip Morris. The company's smoke-free alternatives are non-combusting and include heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches. «With the proof that these products are working, we must bring them to the people who cannot quit smoking,» he said.
Wilde was speaking at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2025.
In addition to prohibiting foreign direct investment in the tobacco sector, India has banned vaping/e-cigarettes that do not require combustion. This effectively bars companies from selling other smoke-free cigarettes or tobacco products in India, which are rapidly gaining popularity in developed nations.
Philip Morris operates through its Indian affiliate IPM India Wholesale Trading—a JV between Philip Morris Brands Sarl of Switzerland and two Indian partners, Godfrey Phillips India and K.K. Modi Investment & Financial Services.
«There is a peculiarity in the tobacco sector. People want their products, and if the supply chain is disrupted, this opens the door to what we call illicit trade, contraband,» said Wilde. He noted that the biggest challenge for Philip Morris in many countries, including India, is regulation.
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