India is the 2^nd largest tobacco producer with an annual production of around 800 million kgs and a leading tobacco exporter in the world. Nearly 26 million farmers and farm workers earn their livelihood from tobacco in India. In all 45.7 million people are dependent on tobacco for their livelihood. Tobacco products contribute more than Rs.50,000 crores in Government’s Tax revenues.

Columbus discovered America and tobacco in 1492 in his effort to find a direct sea-route to India, which was at that time the sole supplier of some essential commodities required by European countries. One of the traveling teams that visited South America and India introduced tobacco into India in the year 1508. Today, tobacco is one of the major commercial crops grown in India.

Tobacco crop is grown on marginal soils, where no other crop can be grown by farmers. Tobacco crop can withstand dry climatic conditions. Tobacco by-products are used for improving the soil fertility when added back to soil. Just 4.64 Lakh hectares of the country’s arable land is under tobacco cultivation.

Various types of tobaccos are cultivated in India for use in tobacco products such as Cigarette, Bidi, Cigar, Cheroot, Hookah, Chewing and Snuff etc. Following are the tobacco varieties grown in different parts of the country: