VST Industries



VST Industries Ltd is an Indian publicly-listed company which manufactures and distributes cigarettes. The company is headquartered in Hyderabad.

VST Industries started off as the Vazir Sultan Tobacco Company, and became an affiliate undertaking of British American Tobacco group of the United Kingdom, It became fully independent and registered as VST Industries Ltd in 1983. British American Tobacco, through its subsidiaries, owns a 32.16% stake in the company.

History and founder
Vazir Sultan Tobacco was started by the late Mr. Vazir Sultan in 1916, present Vithalwadi, Hyderabad. VST went public in 1930. He died on 12 June 1923.

He was survived by 7 sons and 3 daughters. Eldest son Mr. Mohammad Sultan was the 1st chairman of VST Industries.

Brands
The company also operates under the names of Total, Charms, Charminar, Editions, Special, and Moments. Its headquarters are located in Hyderabad, India. It is the second largest cigarette manufacturing company in India. The company declared a dividend of 450% in 2011 making it one of the highest dividend yielding stocks in the Bombay Stock Exchange. The seventh and last Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, used to smoke Charminar cigarettes, which were specially rolled for him in roasted tobacco.

VST contributes to the society, supporting the setting up of a city police hospital in Amberpet in 2021.