History of Tobacco Cultivation in India
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. 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:
| Types of Tobacco | States |
|---|---|
| FCV Tobacco | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Karnataka |
| Bidi Tobacco | Gujarat, Nipani area of Karnataka, Maharashtra & Andhra Pradesh |
| Cigar & Cheroot | Tamil Nadu & West Bengal |
| Hookah Tobacco | Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh & Gujarat |
| Chewing & Snuff | Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat & Madhya Pradesh |
| Natu, Burley, Lanka & HDBRG etc. |
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Karnataka |
Even though the cultivation of tobacco is spread all over the country, the commercial cultivation of tobacco is concentrated in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.