Following the implementation of the new taxation system, pan masala brands have started returning to the market, but conditions are still far from fully normal. Supplies of many brands remain below market demand, largely due to the heavy cess linked to machines. During a Tobacco Plus market survey across Modinagar, Muradnagar, Meerut, and much of western Uttar Pradesh, the same trend was observed.
Notably, Meerut is considered a strong pan masala market. The city’s well-known paan shop chain Nawab-e-Paan has created its own identity. Along with regular pan masalas, premium pan masalas also have healthy demand here, with Rajnigandha enjoying a particularly strong hold.
In regular pan masala, the ₹5 twin-pack trend dominates. Consumer preferences also vary between urban and rural markets. The main running brands include Kamla Pasand, Dilbagh, Tansen, Shikhar, Vimal, Pan Bahar, Bahubali, and Pan Bahar Crystal.
There is constant rivalry between Dilbagh and Kamla Pasand, with both competing intensely for leadership. During the survey, market sources said Dilbagh, the number one brand, is facing shortages, while Kamla Pasand supply has only recently resumed. Rajnigandha and Vimal are the only brands with adequate supply, while most others continue to face shortages.
For decades Dilbagh has had strong dominance here, but Kamla Pasand, on the strength of superior quality and taste, is giving it tough competition. In urban markets, Kamla Pasand appears stronger, while in rural areas Dilbagh retains dominance. In sales terms, both are virtually neck and neck. After these two, Tansen ranks third, followed by Shikhar, Vimal, and Bahubali.
Rajnigandha Continues to Rule Premium
In the premium segment, Rajnigandha enjoys one-sided dominance. Unlike eastern Uttar Pradesh, neither its nano pack nor ₹10 pouch is prevalent here; instead, the 4-gram pouch is widely consumed. Its zipper and tin packs are also selling strongly. In effect, Rajnigandha controls nearly 90% of the premium market, with the remaining 10% shared by Pan Bahar and Navratan.
Navratan, despite strong quality, taste, and the Baba name behind it, has not achieved the success it has seen in some other mandis. The company may need to evaluate the reasons. During the survey, Tobacco Plus also learned that Baba’s zarda, elaichi, and pan masala products have separate distributors.
Dilbagh and Kamla Pasand Lead the Pack
The market survey revealed Dilbagh and Kamla Pasand to be the most popular brands in Meerut. It remains difficult to say which leads, as their market shares differ only marginally. Competition between them remains intense.
Due to supply disruptions after the new taxation system, Bahubali consumers have been facing difficulties. Kamla Pasand too had shortages, though supply has improved in recent days. Vimal supply had stabilized earlier. Tansen has also carved a strong position, while Shikhar, Vimal, and Bahubali continue to perform well.
Apart from these major brands, Gagan (an SNK product) is also selling well in Meerut.
In khaini, Nevla enjoys overwhelming dominance, followed by Swagat. Rahees Tobacco also has decent sales and is present in Peeli Patti as well. In ready-made khaini, Safal leads while Kuber ranks second. In zarda, Gemini sees the highest demand, alongside Ravi, while Baba, Tulsi, and Ratna 300 dominate the premium zarda segment.
Baba, Tulsi and Ratna in Premium Zarda
There was a time when zarda consumption here was enormous, with cases selling in large volumes. Today sales have reduced significantly due to declining paan consumption, as pan masala has increasingly replaced paan.
Still, as consumer accompaniments to premium pan masalas, Baba 120 and Tulsi maintain good sales. In premium zarda, Baba 160, Baba 120, Tulsi, and Ratna 300 sell well, while in regular zarda Gemini and Ravi Sadi Patti see demand.
Safal Leads Khaini Sales
Due to Meerut’s cantonment character, khaini has a healthy market. In ready-made khaini, Safal from the KP Group is the number one brand by a wide margin, with Kuber in second place. However, there is a significant gap in sales between the two.
In lime-mix khaini, Nevla has established clear dominance and accounts for nearly 80% of the khaini market, while Swagat and Rahees share the remaining 20%.
Strong Sales for Sweety and Baba Black
In sweet supari, Sweety has established a clear leadership. Its ₹2 kesar-scented sweet supari has left little room for competitors and enjoys one-sided dominance. Baba Black Supari is also highly preferred. Together, Sweety and Baba account for nearly 80–90% of sweet supari sales, while Ritik, Rose, and others share the balance.
Mouth Fresheners
In mouth fresheners, DS Group’s Pass Pass remains the most popular brand. Here, the red variant sells more than the yellow one. It is popular across all age groups, including women. Pearls Elaichi and Baba Elaichi also have good sales.
A notable change has been brought by Banarasi Paan, which has created a strong presence in the ₹1 segment in Meerut.
Brand-wise Positioning
Dilbagh:
The leading brand in rural Meerut for a long time. Its market share remains comparable to its key rival, though supply is still not fully normalized.
Kamla Pasand:
Though Dilbagh remains a core brand, Kamla Pasand is giving it equal competition. In urban areas it ranks number one. After the new taxation system, availability has improved in line with demand.
Tansen:
A strong performer in several mandis across India, it ranks third here. The company is making strong efforts to improve its position further.
Shikhar:
Rapidly moving toward becoming a pan-India brand, Shikhar has built a strong market in Meerut and trails Tansen only slightly. A new change is its twin pack format of ₹3 pan masala + ₹2 zarda.
Vimal:
Since Dilbagh and Kamla Pasand are established brands here, Vimal has not achieved the success it enjoys in some other markets. Still, Vimal 5000 has abundant supply and is currently seeing a sales upswing.
Bahubali:
Has decent placement in the market and remains a running brand. Despite efforts, growth has not changed significantly.
Rajnigandha:
In premium pan masalas, Rajnigandha enjoys outright dominance, commanding nearly 90% market share, with record sales across all its segments.
