NEW DELHI, April 22 — In a move aimed at reducing procedural burden and supporting ease of doing business, the Government of India has extended the validity of registrations and licenses for Virginia tobacco growers and barn operators from one year to three years.
The decision, effective from the 2025–26 crop season, was announced through an amendment to the Tobacco Board Rules, 1976, published in the Gazette of India by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
“This amendment of increasing the periodicity from one to three years will be greatly helpful to around 83,500 farmers covering around 91,000 barns in renewing their registrations/licenses across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Odisha states,” the official release noted.
To implement the change, the Centre modified sub-rules (5), (6), and (7) of Rule 33, and sub-rules (2) and (3) of Rule 34N of the 1976 Rules. These rules regulate the issuance of certificates and licenses under the Tobacco Board Act, 1975.
The updated rules mean that Virginia tobacco growers will now need to renew their certificate of registration and barn operation license only once every three years, rather than annually.
“This will ease compliance and administrative costs for farmers, especially smallholders,” said a Commerce Ministry official.
Virginia tobacco cultivation and barn operations are regulated under the Tobacco Board Act, 1975, which mandates registration and licensing for growers before taking up cultivation.
India is the world’s second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of unmanufactured tobacco by value. In 2024–25, tobacco exports generated Rs 16,728 crore in revenue for the Indian exchequer.
