ITC raises Gold Flake Premium 10-stick pack price to ₹135

ITC has raised the price of Gold Flake Premium’s 10-stick pack from ₹125 to ₹135, its second increase in 2026. The move follows higher cigarette taxes and duties, with price revisions also reported across other ITC cigarette brands.

— Source publishedWed, 23 Sept, 2026, 15:23 IST·First seen Wed, 23 Sept, 2026, 15:30 IST·Source Mint · Markets

What happened

ITC raised Gold Flake Premium’s 10-stick pack price to ₹135 from ₹125, its second increase this year, amid higher cigarette taxes and excise duties. The move

Key facts

  • Gold Flake Premium 10-stick pack: ₹125 to ₹135 (8%)
  • Gold Flake Premium: ₹115 to ₹135 in 2026 (17.4%)
  • June increase: ₹115 to ₹125 (8.7%)
  • GST on cigarettes: 40% from 1 February 2026
  • Classic Connect 20-stick pack: ₹390 to ₹428 (9.7%)
  • Gold Flake Super Star 10-stick pack: ₹79 to ₹89 (12.7%)
  • ITC shares rose nearly 2%
  • Godfrey Phillips shares rose up to 2%

Why this matters

Broad ITC cigarette repricing reinforces the strategic value of premium tobacco brands with pricing power, while potentially widening opportunities in lower-priced or alternative nicotine segments if consumers trade down.

What to watch

  • Additional Union or state tobacco-tax, duty, GST, or cess announcements.
  • Price revisions by Godfrey Phillips India, VST Industries, and other tobacco competitors.
  • ITC quarterly cigarette volume growth, segment EBIT margin, and premium-versus-value mix commentary.
  • Evidence of accelerated consumer downtrading, including growth in low-price cigarette packs, bidis, or loose-stick purchases.
  • Trade-channel reports of illicit cigarette availability and widening price gaps with legal brands.
  • Further Gold Flake Premium or broader ITC pack-price revisions within the next quarter.
  • Extend revised pricing to adjacent ITC cigarette brands and pack sizes, especially premium and mid-tier SKUs.
  • Protect key ₹ price points through pack-size, format, and product-mix changes rather than uniform percentage increases.
  • Increase trade monitoring and distributor incentives to limit leakage to competitor, illicit, and lower-priced tobacco products.
  • Emphasize premiumization and differentiated filters/flavors to defend Gold Flake Premium's value perception.
  • Use strong cigarette cash generation to sustain investment in FMCG brands while maintaining margin discipline.