India shipped US$1.97 billion of unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco products in FY2024-25 — about 3,64,576 tonnes of leaf and product moving out through Indian ports (IBEF). Tobacco export from India is no fringe trade: the country is the world's second-largest exporter of unmanufactured tobacco, behind only Brazil, and the second-largest producer after China. FY2025-26 opened in the same gear — US$374.9 million shipped in the first two months alone.
This guide lays out the real FY2024-25 and FY2025-26 numbers, the HS codes you file under, where the leaf actually goes, and the part most exporters get stuck on: how to find tobacco buyers with trade data instead of cold guesswork.
The 30-second version
- India exported US$1.97B of tobacco in FY2024-25; US$374.9M in April–May of FY2025-26.
- Flue-cured Virginia (FCV) leaf is the money crop — US$895.9M in FY25, grown almost entirely in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
- Top buyers: UAE (US$427M), Belgium, Egypt, the Philippines and Indonesia.
- Unmanufactured tobacco files under HS 2401; cigars and cigarettes under 2402; other manufactured tobacco under 2403.
- A 2025-26 overproduction glut has pushed farm prices below ₹250/kg — a buyer's-market signal worth watching.
How big is tobacco export from India?
Tobacco export from India reached US$1.97 billion (Rs 16,728 crore) across roughly 3,64,576 tonnes in FY2024-25 (IBEF). That caps a long climb. Unmanufactured tobacco shipments alone hit a record Rs 12,005 crore in FY2023-24, up 87% over five years, with volume rising from 218.84 million kg in 2019-20 to 315.51 million kg in 2023-24 (The Tribune).
The momentum carried into FY2025-26. In April–May 2025, exporters moved 66,985 tonnes worth US$374.9 million, of which FCV tobacco was US$197.7 million. India now sells tobacco into roughly 200 countries.
India is the second-largest exporter of unmanufactured tobacco on earth — yet almost all of its export-grade FCV leaf comes from just two states.
Which countries buy the most Indian tobacco?
The UAE is the single biggest buyer, taking about US$427 million — 21.3% of India's tobacco export value in FY2024-25 (ExportImportData). Belgium, the EU's leaf gateway, comes next, followed by Egypt, the Philippines and Indonesia (Seair Exim).
| Destination | Share of India's tobacco export value (FY2024-25) |
|---|---|
| UAE | 21.3% (~US$427M) |
| Belgium | ~17% (~US$341M) |
| Egypt | ~13% |
| Philippines | ~12% |
| Indonesia | ~8% (~US$153M) |
Belgium's figure is bigger than it looks. Antwerp is a processing and re-export hub, so a large slice of "Belgium" volume is really EU-wide demand routed through one port. Egypt and West African markets buy heavily for local cigarette manufacturing, while the UAE mixes domestic use with re-export across the Gulf. Read those destination patterns and you know where a fresh consignment of Indian leaf has the best odds of clearing.
Unmanufactured tobacco export vs manufactured: the HS codes
Most of the trade is unmanufactured tobacco export — raw and processed leaf, not finished product. Get the HS code right before you file (Flexport, WCO):
- HS 2401 — Unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco refuse (2401.10 not stemmed/stripped, 2401.20 partly or wholly stemmed/stripped, 2401.30 refuse). This is the bulk of what India ships.
- HS 2402 — Cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes of tobacco or tobacco substitutes.
- HS 2403 — Other manufactured tobacco, "homogenised" or "reconstituted" tobacco, extracts and essences (covers hookah and chewing tobacco).
The split matters commercially. Leaf under 2401 is a volume commodity graded by type and colour; manufactured product under 2402/2403 carries brand value and far heavier regulation in the destination market.
Why FCV leaf drives tobacco export from India
Flue-cured Virginia is the export engine. FCV tobacco earned US$895.9 million in FY25 — the largest single category — and Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka together grow 99% of India's FCV crop (Vajiram & Ravi). The Tobacco Board of India, set up in 1976 and headquartered at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, runs the auction platforms, grades the crop, and registers Indian tobacco exporters (Tobacco Board).
Non-FCV unmanufactured tobacco — burley, bidi, rustica and others — added another US$550 million in FY25 on 1,40,047 tonnes. Together the two unmanufactured streams are where the export money sits, which is why buyer targeting matters more than product range for most exporters.
An exporter who knows a Gulf importer just took three containers of grade-F1 leaf can price a fourth before the buyer even reopens the enquiry.
The 2025-26 glut every buyer should watch
Here is the live story. Andhra's 2025-26 FCV crop is running at an estimated 240 million kg against an authorised 142 million kg — a heavy overshoot. Farm prices have crashed to below ₹250/kg from over ₹360 last season, and the state is weighing a production cap near 81 million kg for the next cycle (New Kerala). For an importer, oversupply plus soft prices is a sourcing window. For an exporter, it is a margin squeeze that makes finding the right buyer fast the whole game.
How to find tobacco buyers with trade data
The hard part of tobacco export from India is not growing leaf — it is finding the importer who actually wants your grade. Trade data closes that gap. Import records in destination markets like the UAE, Belgium, Egypt and the US are the fastest way to see who is buying tobacco right now, in what volume, and from whom.
- Work the buyer market, not your warehouse. Filter tobacco export data by HS 2401 into a target country to surface the importers moving real tonnage.
- Rank by volume. Chase the buyer bringing in containers month after month, not the one who bought a sample lot once.
- Read the switching signals. A buyer whose usual supplier just slipped is the warmest lead you will get.
How ShipScout helps you find tobacco buyers
Winning at tobacco export from India comes down to one thing: knowing who is buying. ShipScout is a global trade-intelligence platform — 11B+ shipment records across 240+ countries — and it turns that into a working buyer list.
- Find active importers. Search UAE importers and other destination markets by HS 2401 to see who is pulling leaf today, ranked by shipment volume. Here is how to use customs data to find buyers step by step.
- Target with data, not lists. ShipScout helps Indian tobacco exporters find buyers with mirrored licensed trade data and volume-ranked targeting — full walkthrough in finding buyers for export from India.
- Verify before you ship. Cross-check a prospect's trade history and counterparties first; our guide on verifying a counterparty works both ways.
- Get the paperwork right. Confirm your HS code and IEC code before the first shipment.
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