Saharanpur is considered a strong market from the tobacco trade perspective. Along with pan masala, there is also healthy demand for bidi and khaini here. For many years, Gandhi Trading, a well-established firm in the market, has been dealing in bidi products of JP Tobacco Pvt. Ltd., including brands such as Deluxe Tarzan and Super Tarzan.

Speaking to Tobacco Plus, the firm’s owner Sumit Gandhi said that customers from Dehradun, Roorkee, and Deoband visit his establishment to purchase goods.

Referring to shortages in the market after the implementation of the new tax system, he said the supply of Rajnigandha and Vimal has remained irregular. However, the supply of Kamla Pasand and Vimal has improved considerably over the last week to ten days, while major disruptions continue in the supply of several other brands. Due to shortages, both customers and retailers are facing considerable inconvenience.

Speaking about the pan masala market in Saharanpur, he said the market is primarily dominated by Dilbagh and Kamla Pasand. Dilbagh is the number one brand with the highest sales, followed by Kamla Pasand in second place. Bahubali ranks third and Vimal fourth in sales. Shikhar is also witnessing strong sales growth.

He told Tobacco Plus that in the premium segment, Rajnigandha continues to hold the number one position, as before. Regarding Signature, Sumit Gandhi said the brand is also gradually growing.

In the mouth freshener segment, ToJo has a strong presence in the market, while in khaini, Safal is by far the most successful brand and leads sales. He said it would not be an exaggeration to call its sales one-sided dominance. After Safal, Peeli Patti Hathi Gola, a local product, has notable sales. Kuber and Golden are also sold, though their demand is relatively lower. On the Dehradun side, Golden enjoys good sales.