Even as excise hike this year was restricted just to mini cigarettes (59mm plain), which increased from from Rs 100 to Rs 110 per thousand sticks (a 10 per cent hike), tobacco companies have increased prices for all product categories, including premium king-size filter cigarettes. Market leader ITC, industry sources say, will be the largest gainer from the post-budgetary price increase as it is expected to boost the company's bottomline by a whopping Rs 360 crore.

Other players are also not far behind. Hyderabad-based VST Industries, a British American Tobacco group company, is expected to gain by over Rs 46 crore, while the Modis-controlled Godfrey Phillips India (GPI) is likely to add Rs 10 crore to its bottomline this year. The annual gainsfor GTC is estimated at Rs 72 lakh. ITC has, however, claimed that the price increases were necessitated due to overall increase in taxes. "Although the excise duty hike was restricted to mini cigarettes, the overall tax liability has increased by almost 40 per cent on cigarettes. State taxes, luxury taxes, octroi duties have all increased sharply, and we were left with no option but to increase prices," said an ITC official.

"For ITC, the tax impact in Tamil Nadu alone has been around Rs 100 crore and it would not have been possible for the company to absorb the huge increase in duties," the official added.

The Calcutta-based tobacco major increased the pack price of Gold Flake (King size) to Rs 21 from Rs 19.65 before the budget. With a volume of 352 million sticks per month, ITC is expected to reap a monthly gain of Rs 3.32 crore from this brand alone. Even its Gold Flake (69mm) brand (pack price of which has been revised upwards from Rs 12.40 to Rs 14) may chip in over Rs 14 crore per month. The brandhas a monthly volume of 991 million sticks. Wills Filter (74mm), another hot brand from the ITC stable, has become dearer post-budget with pack price increasing from Rs 16.50 to 17.50. With monthly volumes of 707 million sticks, sources say, the brand will bring in an additional Rs 8 crore per month.

According to estimates, price increase of Capstan Filter (69mm) will fetch Rs 2.11 crore per month, while the Scissors Plain brand is expected to bring an additional Rs Rs 3.27 crore. ITC's total gain from this round of post-budget price increases works out to Rs 30.12 crore per month.

VST Industries, the Hyderabad-based BAT subsidiary, has revised the pack price of its Charm MK (89 mm) brand from Rs 8.50 to Rs 9 after the budget. With a monthly volume of 266 million sticks, the higher price is expected fetch Rs 2.83 crore.

Not too far behind is Charm Filter (69mm), which driven by the post-budget price hike from Rs 9 to Rs 9.75 per pack, is likely to bring in another Rs 35 lakh per month.

GPI, accordingto estimates, is also expected to gain handsomely from its Four Square (84 mm) brand, which has a monthly volume of 27 million sticks per month. The pack price has been hiked from Rs 19 to Rs 21 post-budget and this may translate into a monthly gain of Rs 55 lakh for the company. With price revisions for its other brands, GPI is likely to chip in Rs 84 lakh per month.