The Supreme Court said the tobacco industry must comply with new expanded health warnings introduced 1 April and rejected a plea to stay implementation, Reuters reported.

The court directed the high court of Karnataka state to hear complaints filed against the new rules in several Indian courts, and deliver a decision within six weeks, the news agency reported. The new warnings increased the health warning from 40 per cent of one major surface on a pack of tobacco to 85 per cent on both sides. Cigarette and bidi manufacturers said the new rules were impractical and would encourage illicit trade, Reuters said.