The World Health Organization congratulated India on Thursday for its ban on electronic cigarettes, the latest evidence of a global backlash against a technology touted as safer than regular smoking.

In a tweet, the UN body's South-East Asia office said that India was the sixth country in the region to ban e-cigarettes after North Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and East Timor.

A spokesman for WHO said that e-cigarette regulation should fit the capabilities of each country, welcoming the outright ban in India.

"WHO has been consistent that if e-cigarettes cannot be regulated effectively they should be banned," said Tarik Jašarević.

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a prominent opponent of smoking, also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "recognizing this epidemic and putting the health of your citizens first".

Citing health concerns, the Indian government announced on Wednesday a ban on the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution and storage of e-cigarettes.