Karnataka Assembly passes bill prohibiting hookah bars, use of tobacco products in public places
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill that prohibits hookah bars in the state, and carries a penal provision of imprisonment of one-to-three years and fines of up to Rs 1 lakh for violations.
The bill also prohibits the use of tobacco products in public places, and the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products near educational institutions and to persons below the age of 21 years.
The bill titled the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2024, amends the central act of 2003 in its application to the state of Karnataka.
No person shall either on his own or on behalf of any other person open or run any hookah bar in any place, including the eating house or pub or bar or restaurant by whatever name it is called, the bill said.
Hookah bar means "an establishment or place where people gather to smoke tobacco from a communal hookah or narghile, which is provided individually," according to the text of the bill.
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Piloting the bill for the consideration of the House, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the main intention is to safeguard the health of citizens, especially the youth, and to stem the tide of tobacco-related diseases. Youth today consider the hookah a "fashion statement or fashionable", he said.
"It not only affects those consuming it, but also people around -- passive smokers." The state government has already issued a notification prohibiting hookah bars, against which their owners have gone to the courts, he said.
"Courts also have not given any stay, so if we bring amendments and make a law, there wont we any objections further," minister said.
Noting that hookah bars have been opened at restaurants and bars, Rao said, "Considering that smoking cigarettes is harmful to health, it is already prohibited in public places. In the case of hookah, tobacco and nicotine are used along with other substances like narcotics, and to prohibit it this amendment has been brought."
Punishment for running hookah bars has newly been introduced in the bill, he said, adding that violators of section 4A will be imprisoned for a term between one and three years, and be fined an amount between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
Further noting that the bill prohibits the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to persons below the age of 21 years, the minister said, "As per law, it is 18 years, but we have now increased it to 21 years. It cannot be sold within the radius of 100 metres from educational institutions. The fine for violation has been increased to Rs 1,000 from Rs 200."
The bill that prohibits the use of tobacco products in public places, says no person shall use tobacco products in any public place, and "use" means and includes smoking and spitting of tobacco.
The exceptions are in a hotel having 30 rooms or a restaurant with a seating capacity of 30 persons or more, and in airports, where, the bill says, a separate provision for smoking area or space may be made.
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Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
