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Karnataka bans gutkha and tobacco pan masala for one year
State order covers manufacture, storage, transport, distribution and sale across Karnataka
MUMBAI: Karnataka is putting a lid on the tobacco trail. The state has imposed a one-year prohibition on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and/or nicotine, widening the crackdown beyond shops to the entire supply chain.
The order was issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety, Karnataka, on 10 August 2026, citing public health concerns. The prohibition applies across the state and covers products at multiple stages, from manufacturing and storage to transportation, distribution and retail.
The restriction specifically covers gutkha and pan masala in which tobacco or nicotine is used as an ingredient. It also extends to products containing tobacco or nicotine that may be sold under other names, preventing prohibited products from simply changing their labels to stay in circulation.
The order covers both packaged and unpackaged products, including gutkha and pan masala sold in sachets, pouches, packages or containers. It also applies where tobacco or nicotine-containing products are offered separately in a way that allows consumers to mix them before use.
Following the notification, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration has stepped up inspections across Karnataka. Officials are checking different points of the supply chain, including manufacturing facilities, storage locations, transport networks, distribution channels and retail outlets.
The move comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of products containing tobacco and nicotine, with authorities focusing not only on what reaches consumers but also on how such products move through the market.
For businesses dealing in the affected products, the order therefore closes several routes at once. Manufacturers, distributors, transporters and those storing the prohibited products are all covered by the restriction.
The prohibition will remain in force for one year under the order issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety, making Karnataka the latest state to tighten restrictions around tobacco and nicotine-containing gutkha and pan masala.
