INDIAN ECON, POLITICS, SOCIETY + BTC PRICE

[M47AK16]

I have been shown continuously in social media feeds about this news in the memes. I remember the price of cigarette will cost around 72 rupees, but I am not sure it's for a single piece or the price will increase for a whole pack. Currently it is cost around 18 rupees if I am not wrong.

Taxing tobacco isn't going to stop the people from using it but encourage the black market cigarettes such as from China and Indonesia, that is much cheaper so Indian government is making laws that will benefit the other coutnries.

I as well have been seeing some memes going around stating price for cigarettes is going to increase rapidly. Yes, as of now one cigarette costs around 18 rupees where I stay but when I travel, I see the same cigarette being sold for 20 to 25 rupees. The actually MRP varies in every state, I guess. I remember purchasing the same cigarette for 22 rupees in Maharashtra while in Karnataka it was sold for 16 rupees. I guess similar to alcohol, price for cigarette too changes in every state.

Increasing the price will only bring counterfeit cigarettes in the market which are 10 times for harmful than the regular ones. Government should think about this. Not everyone is going to quit smoking just because the rates are hiked. They will find ways to get hands on cheap cigarettes just because they can't control the cravings.

[TheUltraElite]

I think traffic hike and price hike of smartphones is going to happen again.

I though am comfortable with buying a <15k phone and running it for the next 3 years, the current one I have is like that and it will step into 4years now. I will only change that once the software become obsolete and stops supporting banking apps.

For tariff I pray that Jio keeps the 198 plan on, otherwise its doomsday for cheepos like us.

[pawanjain]

Not that much but yes it will increase to around 24-25 , so a packet will now cost 60-70 rs more

that's excatly what this goverment refused to understand ...banning & overtaxing never works in a country like India , people always find loops ..same thing they did with real gaming apps , tried same thing with crypto by overtaxing it.Let Adult do what they want with their money , just regulate things .

Do you have the source of where you got those rates from ?
Everywhere I got this news it was mentioned that they will be increasing the rates to 72 rs for one cigeratte.
That is a drastic rise in it's price. To be honest I don't really think the government will increase it so much.
24-25 rs is still far better from that price but yeah, whatever be the price the one's who smoke will keep smoking no matter what the price is.

[vivekdhyani1]

^^ it's a personal source , i know a Wholesale distrubator of tobacco products in my area ..he quoted me that price.

Here some detail breakdown of GST rates :

https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/cigarette-prices-to-rise-from-february-1-new-tax-calculation-explained-brand-name-cost-cess-2845490-2026-01-02

[Bitcoin Smith]

Not everyone is going to quit smoking just because the rates are hiked. They will find ways to get hands on cheap cigarettes just because they can't control the cravings.

Scientifically, quitting smoking is one of the hardest thing even with a lot of effort and self discipline it will take atleast a year for a moderate user so no one is going to stop at all but the rate of smoking might decrease but as said it will increase the cheap imported cigars to get into the wider market.

I think traffic hike and price hike of smartphones is going to happen again.

I though am comfortable with buying a <15k phone and running it for the next 3 years, the current one I have is like that and it will step into 4years now. I will only change that once the software become obsolete and stops supporting banking apps.

For tariff I pray that Jio keeps the 198 plan on, otherwise its doomsday for cheepos like us.

For the flagship models, the price hike is simply the way that it always has been. They will start with competitive price once they get user they will turn into premium ones instead of flagship killer. But mobiles usually will cost higher because of Nand and Memory price increase in the global market and it already happened. The mobiles sold for 12,999 is now sold for 15,999 which is only because of the storage device demand all around the world.

I still see the old price tags on jio app but not sure when they are going to change them but sure it is coming.

[JSRAW]

Arey tax cuts etc de rahe hai so gov ko Kahi se toh khoon chusna hoga despite the fact that gst revenue went up. After all, mahilla, maa, ladli behan beti yojna bhi chalani hai vote secure karne ke liye.

Sin category always gets a hit when all these calculations comes into play, they know nashedi log shariff hai aur koi chakkar jam nahi karne wala. You can't imagine the scene if sare nashedi jantar mantar mein jama ho jaye for protest lol it would be funny tho.

PS: gutke par tho double hona chahiye, gand macha rakha hai trains mein inn logo ne.

[Bitcoin Smith]

~
PS: gutke par tho double hona chahiye, gand macha rakha hai trains mein inn logo ne.

Some states banned tobacco products except cigarettes still people who use chewing tobacco or other kinds are still using it but with 10x of what it's mrp or even higher than that too, so it seems stopping is impossible so the only thing is to make benefits for the government with high taxes rather than banning it while also teach the kids not to use it so the next generation might use it lesser and also impose heavy penalty/with 7 or 14 days prison time for public littering can stop them to an extent.

[JSRAW]

~
PS: gutke par tho double hona chahiye, gand macha rakha hai trains mein inn logo ne.

Some states banned tobacco products except cigarettes still people who use chewing tobacco or other kinds are still using it but with 10x of what it's mrp or even higher than that too, so it seems stopping is impossible so the only thing is to make benefits for the government with high taxes rather than banning it while also teach the kids not to use it so the next generation might use it lesser and also impose heavy penalty/with 7 or 14 days prison time for public littering can stop them to an extent.

Law implement hote hi kahan hai humare yahan? It works only when tax department finds out ki tumne galti se 10 rs ke gain ka hisab nahi diya and it only comes in effect for honest ones.

Sin industry will exit regardless but users need a serious belt treatment for their behaviour no matter what. Khane ko mana nahi but bc gand toh na failao.

Good article on import lobby, how they sabotage actual indigenous tech and intiatives.
https://www.spsmai.com/experts-speak/?id=1771&q=Sabotaging-Self-Sufficiency-in-Defence

[JSRAW]

We discussed this recently that we upgraded our desi pinaka system. Guess what it's sabotage already started, for some reasons indian army ordered Israel's long-range, multi-calibre rocket-launcher system (same as pinaka but a longer range) as emergency procurement.

Desi firm is in partnership and will produce equipment in India and naming it suryastra. What does it mean? It means probably no bulk orders for pinaka in short term and less R&d budget for future upgrade.

https://beatsinbrief.com/2026/01/04/indian-army-suryastra-israeli-puls-rocket-system-deal/

[vivekdhyani1]

We discussed this recently that we upgraded our desi pinaka system. Guess what it's sabotage already started, for some reasons indian army ordered Israel's long-range, multi-calibre rocket-launcher system (same as pinaka but a longer range) as emergency procurement.

Desi firm is in partnership and will produce equipment in India and naming it suryastra. What does it mean? It means probably no bulk orders for pinaka in short term and less R&d budget for future upgrade.

https://beatsinbrief.com/2026/01/04/indian-army-suryastra-israeli-puls-rocket-system-deal/

They do it for specific reason , what will happen is they will now create now eco system arround this foreign import & when MOD will ask them to accquire new version of Pinaka they will shed crocodile tear & say we already have eco-system around foreign import so why waste money just import more ..same thing happen in Arjun tanks vs T-series tanks from Russia.Not to mention the unrealistic feature that Army will demand from our desi Systems & then when they not gonna meat those & will import a foreign maal with inferior features 

I'm sick of these babus man , most of them have zero expertise on a single thing as these clowns have passed a exam mostly doing ratta of books & stuck in british era still thinking themselves as collectors.UPSE reform are the biggest reform this country need , half of our problem will vanish if these clowns actually do some work.

[JSRAW]

We discussed this recently that we upgraded our desi pinaka system. Guess what it's sabotage already started, for some reasons indian army ordered Israel's long-range, multi-calibre rocket-launcher system (same as pinaka but a longer range) as emergency procurement.

Desi firm is in partnership and will produce equipment in India and naming it suryastra. What does it mean? It means probably no bulk orders for pinaka in short term and less R&d budget for future upgrade.

https://beatsinbrief.com/2026/01/04/indian-army-suryastra-israeli-puls-rocket-system-deal/

They do it for specific reason , what will happen is they will now create now eco system arround this foreign import & when MOD will ask them to accquire new version of Pinaka they will shed crocodile tear & say we already have eco-system around foreign import so why waste money just import more ..same thing happen in Arjun tanks vs T-series tanks from Russia.Not to mention the unrealistic feature that Army will demand from our desi Systems & then when they not gonna meat those & will import a foreign maal with inferior features 

I'm sick of these babus man , most of them have zero expertise on a single thing as these clowns have passed a exam mostly doing ratta of books & stuck in british era still thinking themselves as collectors.UPSE reform are the biggest reform this country need , half of our problem will vanish if these clowns actually do some work.

Exactly this...

Not just babus but these sorts of group also exist in Indian army/airforce. Benchoo things were so bad earlier, yeh log bullet proof jackets bhi import karte they. Bhala ho late parrikaar-modi duo ka ki inn logo ne thoda danda kiya aur percentage of indigenous stuff went up and started bit of export.

Still importlobby is too powerful and stop-gap ke argument mein yeh abhi bhi lage huye be it small firearms or aur defence system and what hurts more that sabka replacement available hai desi version mein, which is reliable and cheap.

I mean haal itna bura hai sale shoes ke liye bhi nike etc ke sath MOU sign karte hai.

[vivekdhyani1]

^^ perfectly summed up , that Gormint aunty meme fits here " Ye sare milkar hume pagal bana rahe hai BC" 

Now look at this news :

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/india-probe-finds-tata-steel-jsw-steel-sail-breached-antitrust-law-regulatory-2026-01-06/

India's competition watchdog has found market leaders Tata Steel (TISC.NS), opens new tab, JSW Steel (JSTL.NS), opens new tab, state-run SAIL (SAIL.NS), opens new tab and 25 other firms breached antitrust law by colluding on steel selling prices, a confidential document shows, putting the companies and their executives at risk of hefty fines.