Are Nicotine Pouches Legal in India? The Mumbai Airport Ruling Explained

By PouchGuide Editorial Team · Published September 25, 2026

Not legally, as things stand. Nicotine pouches have no regulatory approval in India. India’s central government has told a court that selling them is a substantive violation of the country’s drug laws and a serious public health risk. In September 2026, the Bombay High Court also rejected an attempt to sell them in airport duty-free shops on the grounds that those shops sit outside Indian law.

The rules could still change if India’s drug regulator decides pouches should be classified differently. Here’s where things stand.

The Mumbai airport case

In April 2026, authorities objected after nicotine pouches were stocked and sold in duty-free shops at Mumbai’s international airport, which is run by the Adani Group. Adani went to court. Its argument was that:

• duty-free shops in the international departure area are beyond the customs barrier, and so outside the reach of India’s domestic regulators; and
• nicotine pouches are “not a drug” but a recent innovation that Indian law hasn’t specifically addressed.

The central government disagreed. It told the court that the sales amounted to a substantive violation of drug laws and a serious public health risk.

What the court decided

In an order issued late on September 22, 2026, the Bombay High Court rejected the duty-free argument. According to reporting on the order, the court said goods sold in duty-free shops:

would be subject to the law of the land and would be governed by the regulatory regime in force even if the transaction takes place in the DFS, beyond the customs barrier.

It added that India’s domestic regulatory regime applies “in full force” to goods brought into duty-free shops within Indian territory.

The court did not decide whether nicotine pouches are drugs under Indian law. Instead, it said Adani is free to make its case to India’s drug regulators, with supporting evidence, and the regulator can decide on the merits. So the classification question is still open, but until a regulator says otherwise, pouches remain unapproved.

What this means if you live in India

• No approved pouches. As of September 2026, no nicotine pouch has regulatory approval in India, so there’s no legal retail channel. Pouches sold online or in shops are being sold without approval.
• The government’s position is clear. New Delhi treats unapproved pouches as a drug-law issue, not a gray area.
• Nicotine replacement therapy is a separate category. Nicotine gum and similar quit-smoking products sold as medicines are regulated differently from recreational pouches. If you want to cut down on smoking, a doctor or pharmacist can advise on approved options.

If you’re traveling through India

The court’s ruling is specifically about selling pouches in duty-free shops. It says nothing directly about travelers carrying a personal supply, and we haven’t found official guidance on personal possession. Given the government’s position, the cautious approach is:

• don’t count on buying pouches at Indian airports, including in duty-free
• carry only a small personal supply, if any, and be prepared for it to be questioned
• check current rules with Indian customs or your airline before you fly

For general advice on flying with pouches, see our travel guide.

How India compares

India joins a growing list of countries where nicotine pouches are unavailable or tightly restricted. Australia closed every legal route in July 2026 (see our Australia guide). France bans possession and use (see our France guide). Japan and Canada treat tobacco-free nicotine as a health product that needs approval (see our Japan and Canada guides). For the full picture, see countries where nicotine pouches are banned.

Bottom line

Nicotine pouches have no regulatory approval in India, and the central government treats selling them as a violation of drug laws. In September 2026, the Bombay High Court ruled that even airport duty-free shops must follow Indian law, which rules out duty-free as a loophole. The court left open whether pouches should be classed as drugs, so that could change if India’s drug regulator reviews the category. For now, there’s no legal way to buy nicotine pouches in India.