Yes, every Indian airport smoking room has a built-in electric lighter machine because lighters and matchboxes are confiscated at security. Four steps to use it: wait for the red light, press the red button, wait up to a minute, then light from the amber coil through the hole on top.
The Four Steps
Step 1 — Wait for the red light to turn on (most important). When the red indicator light is off, the machine is in standby and pressing the button does nothing. Wait a few seconds for the light to come on.
Step 2 — Press the red button. The red light should go off (most important). That confirms the press registered and the heating coil is now warming up. If the light stays on, press again firmly.
Step 3 — Wait up to a minute, then peek into the cigarette hole. Look down into the small hole on top - you should see an amber-orange glowing coil. Hold your cigarette tip against it for 3 to 5 seconds to light.
Step 4 — Repeat if it does not work. Go back to Step 1 if the coil is not glowing after a minute. The larger smoking rooms have more than one machine, so move to the next one if yours stays unresponsive.
Skipping Step 1 or 2 is the reason almost every first-time user thinks the machine is broken. Get those two right and it works.
Common Issues
- Red light never turns on — try a different machine in the same room, or the next room along. The big rooms at DEL T3, BOM T2 and BLR T2 CC1 have more than one lighting point, and Hyderabad has four separate zones in domestic departures alone.
- Coil glows but cigarette does not light — press the tip firmly against the coil for at least 3 seconds; a glancing touch does not work.
- No machine visible — at smaller airports the machine may be behind a small wall flap; look for the red indicator light. Airline ground staff or the terminal information desk can point you to the nearest smoking zone.
Indian Airports With These Machines
Every post-security smoking room at every major Indian airport has at least one electric lighter machine, including:
- Delhi (DEL) — T1, T2 and T3; the covered T3 zone opposite Gate 15 is the easiest to find
- Mumbai (BOM) — T2 and T1; T1 is being redeveloped, so its zones may move during construction
- Bangalore (BLR) — T2 CC1, T1 1st floor
- Hyderabad (HYD), Chennai (MAA), Kolkata (CCU), Cochin (COK)
- Goa Mopa (MGI), Goa Dabolim (GOI), Pune (PNQ), Ahmedabad (AMD), Lucknow (LKO), Jaipur (JAI)
See the India country guide for the full list with exact smoking room locations.