Hyderabad, June 9 -- By Chirag Begwani and Anandini Gupta

India is the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco in the world. Each year, the Indian government earns over Rs. 70,000 crores from the taxation of tobacco products. While this may appear to be a massive benefit to India's fiscal position, behind these numbers lie a massive public health crisis. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey of India for 2016 reveals that more than 1.35 million Indian lives are lost to tobacco-related illnesses annually. With the phasing out of the GST Compensation Cess in 2026 approaching, policymakers have been focused on the continued sustenance of revenue from tobacco. However, the more fundamental question that requires attention is: where does al...