ITA seeks West Bengal tea policy push for Darjeeling, Dooars-Terai

White papers seek financial support, tea-area rejuvenation, factory modernisation and trade reforms to revive production, protect livelihoods and attract investment in North Bengal

The Indian Tea Association (ITA) has submitted white papers to the West Bengal government outlining a roadmap for the revival and development of the state’s tea-growing regions — Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai — with a call for “time-bound and coordinated policy interventions”.

 

The white papers were recently submitted to Industry Minister Tapas Roy, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, and Subrata Gupta, adviser to the chief minister, by an ITA delegation.

 

A statement from the producers’ body said the two detailed white papers on the Darjeeling tea industry and the Dooars and Terai tea industry examine the structural, financial, climatic, labour and market-related challenges confronting the two iconic tea-growing regions and set out a roadmap of policy interventions. The move is aimed at restoring competitiveness, strengthening sustainability, protecting livelihoods and promoting long-term investment. 

  

The Darjeeling white paper highlights the sharp decline in production — from 14.49 million kg in 1990 to 5.6 million kg in 2025 — and calls for urgent, targeted intervention to safeguard the globally recognised geographical indication (GI) heritage of Darjeeling tea.

 

The white papers propose a range of measures, including dedicated financial and revival packages, interest subvention, rejuvenation of ageing tea areas, modernisation of manufacturing infrastructure, integration of tea plantations with government welfare and development schemes, appropriate labour and regulatory reforms, support for tea tourism and diversification, and measures to strengthen domestic and export competitiveness.

 

The Darjeeling white paper proposes an indicative annual financial support package of approximately ₹113 crore, covering orthodox tea production, working-capital interest support, transport, mechanisation, social-security support, rejuvenation and factory modernisation. It also proposes granting seasonal-industry status to the Darjeeling tea industry.

 

The ITA has also sought policy measures to address market- and trade-related challenges, including a minimum sustainable price for made tea, a minimum import price for orthodox teas, rationalisation of goods and services tax (GST) on ready-to-drink (RTD) tea products, and enhancement of Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) support for tea exports.