Supreme Court on Wednesday said the tobacco industry must adhere to federal rules requiring stringent health warnings on cigarette packs, in a major setback for the $11 billion industry that opposes the new policy.

The government has been taken to court by the tobacco industry ,arguing that the directives -aimed at deterring smokers with graphic images of diseased lungs and mouth tumours -are too harsh.

The court also turned down an industry plea to stay the implementation of the new tobacco-control rules introduced from April 1, which require health warnings to cover 85 per cent of a cigarette pack's surface, up from 20 per cent earlier.

It also directed the high court of Karnataka state to hear dozens of pleas filed against the new rules in several Indian courts and decide on the matter within six weeks.

Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose said,“All petitions pending in various high courts stand transferred to the Karnataka High Court,” .

According to India’s tobacco industry, the rules are too difficult to implement and will lead to an increase in the smuggling of illegal cigarettes at the cost of local jobs.

It was not immediately clear when the companies will start printing bigger warnings on their packs.

“We understand the consumption of tobacco is harmful but we have to safeguard the interests of 50 million poor people associated with the tobacco trade,” Dilip Gandhi, chairman of the parliamentary panel, told AFP recently.