Tea

Israel-Iran tensions cloud India's tea export prospects in West Asia

Strong demand has lifted orthodox tea prices but exporters worry as Israel-Iran flare-up threatens disruptions in key West Asian markets like Iran and Iraq

'Indian chai' served at UN event hosted by India for International Tea Day

The aromas and flavors of popular Indian teas permeated the halls of the United Nations headquarters as India hosted a special event to commemorate International Tea Day to highlight the beverage's contribution in empowering communities and fostering inclusive economic growth. The Permanent Mission of India to the UN hosted the high-level event Wednesday on the theme Tea for Livelihoods, Tea for SDGs' to mark the International Tea Day, a celebration of the world's most consumed drink, after water. The event concluded with a special curated tea tasting experience where guests enjoyed a variety of Indian teas, including the famous Darjeeling tea, Masala chai, Assam and Nilgiri teas. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, Director of the FAO UN Liaison Office in New York Angelica Jacome, and representatives of Kenya, Sri Lanka and China, the other major tea producing countries, spoke on the occasion and highlighted the challenges faced by the tea ...

International Tea Day 2025: Know history, significance, quotes and more

International Tea Day is celebrated every year on May 21. It is the most consumed beverage across the world after water. Know more about its history and significance

Chai Point eyes stock exchange listing by mid-2026: Co-founder Tarun Khanna

Chai Point, the popular tea cafe chain that sells close to a million cups of high-quality, freshly brewed tea every day, is looking to go public and list on stock exchange by mid-2026, its co-founder Tarun Khanna said. Chai Point made a special mark during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, selling one lakh cups of tea a day at the peak from its limited-edition outlets. Conceived in 2009 when Khanna, a professor in Harvard University, was sipping a hot cup of tea at a cafe in Mumbai with his student Amuleek Singh Bijral. "On the roadside, there was a young boy selling tea in plastic cups to customers. Such 'chotus', as they are called, serve tea to millions in not-so-good plastic cups and not in the most hygienic conditions. A thought occurred as to why can't we bring authentic, flavourful, and high-quality tea to the masses in the most hygenic ways at an affordable price and at the same time also provide employment to the chotus," he said. That was the germinating point of Chai Point wh

How Darjeeling's iconic tea brand Makaibari blends lifestyle and heritage

Makaibari houses the world's first tea factory going back to 1859. It was the first to go organic and is among the most premium Darjeeling teas

Tea industry witnesses overall production fall, rise in exports in 2024

The tea industry is likely to witness a fall in total production by over 100 million kg till the end of this year due to erratic weather conditions coupled with early annual closure of gardens, resulting in an increase in cost per kg for planters, stakeholders said on Monday. However, the silver lining this year was better price realisation and growing exports. As compared to around 1,178 million kg output during the first 10 months of 2023, the country produced around 1,112 million kg of tea in the January-October period of the current calendar year, while exports were expected to touch 240-250 million kg in 2024, up from around 231 million kg in the previous year, they said. The production is down by around 66 million kg during the January-October period in 2024, while there is expected to be a dip in production by another 45-50 million kg as plucking has been stopped after November, Indian Tea Association chairman Hemant Bangur said. Despite geo-political challenges and currency

COP29 meet: Tea cultivation could decrease by over half, finds study

Agreements might not yet be brewing amongst negotiators at United Nations climate talks, but tea certainly is. It's one of the clearest reminders that the climate summit COP29 is hosted by Azerbaijan. Attendees who roam for miles within the indoor venue have ample options to take a pit stop for sugar and caffeine: shops stack high mountains of pastries with sugary, nutty pakhlava and cardamom-tinged, crescent-shaped shekerbura. At Azerbaijan's country pavilion, women in Baku's traditional dress pour the warm drink for visitors. All of it, like daily life in the city outside, revolves around tea which climate change threatens around the globe. As world leaders descend on the capital city of Baku for climate talks, researchers who study tea report that in some regions around the world, tea cultivation could decrease by over half as rising temperatures, drought, heavy precipitation and erosion batter tea plants and the land they grow on. Scientists are studying ways to improve tea .

Asian tea producers eyeing 'untapped' African mkt for exports: ATA chairman

Tea producers of Asia are now targeting the 'untapped' African market to shore up exports for which they plan to work out a strategy in this regard. Hemant Bangur, chairman of Asian Tea Alliance (ATA), said there is a need to tap the African market. ATA countries include India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. "Africa is a huge untapped and unpenetrated market. The existing export markets of Europe have become saturated. Asian tea producers consider Africa as a focussed market and we will work towards this", Bangur, also the chairman of the Indian Tea Association (ITA), told reporters. Bangur said that the ATA also strongly discourage the promotion of genetically modified clones in the tea industry. "The alliance countries will collaborate to produce more climate resilient clones to produce sustainable tea. The industry also plans to promote regenerative agriculture which will focus on water retention and carbon sequestration," he said. Bangur said that there is a glo

Tata to hike tea prices across brand portfolio over next few months

Tata Tea will implement price hikes across its brand portfolio over the next few months, as it aims to expand its profit margins, which have been hit due to a jump in input prices, a top official said on Wednesday. Parent company Tata Consumer Products expects a rise in overall volumes, which were impacted due to reasons including flooding in urban areas, sluggish rural economy and also general slowdown in growth, its chief executive and managing director Sunil A D'Souza said. The company, which posted a 1 per cent jump in profits in the July-September quarter despite an 11 per cent jump in revenues, feels that the tea prices have shot up by over 25 per cent this year because of supply disruptions. It has started taking "calibrated price increases" while ensuring that there is no demand shock and also ensuring that it stays competitive, D'Zouza told reporters on the sidelines of an event. "... You would see some price implementations every quarter, if not a fortnight, and over a ..

NDMC to provide free tea, snacks to field workers across departments

In a first, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has decided to provide free tea and snacks to its field staff across various departments. This initiative is aimed at supporting over 5,000 employees, including sweepers, gardeners, 'beldars' (groundsmen) and linemen from the electricity department among others, an official told PTI. The official added the decision is on the same lines as practiced in the police and paramilitary forces where the personnel working during the odd hours receive free refreshments. "Our field workers, like sweepers, start their duties as early as 4 am to ensure that streets are clean before the traffic begins. At that time, finding food or tea is challenging, so this is a commendable step," the official said. According to the official, this initiative makes the NDMC the first municipal body in India to implement such a program and the provision of free tea and snacks is a gesture of appreciation and support for the dedication of these workers, who often

Tea prices soar as heatwaves, floods slash output in key producing regions

Production was also affected by the government's decision to ban 20 pesticides

India's craze for 'chai destinations' surges before International Tea Day

Popular Indian tea destinations, Ooty, Palampur, and Chikmagalur, outpace Darjeeling and Munnar in web searches

Industry body TAI seeks release of 'pending' subsidies by Tea Board

Tea Association of India (TAI), a leading body of planters, on Friday sought the release of "pending subsidies" from the Tea Board to carry out developmental activities undertaken at various gardens. The Tea Board has been extending subsidy and financial incentives for undertaking various activities relating to improving production and quality of tea under a scheme covering the period 2007-2017, which was followed by the Medium Term Framework (MTF) from 2017 to 2020, TAI said in a statement. The industry body said gardens under its fold had undertaken substantial developmental activities under the scheme, and a large portion of the amount due to the estates on account of this still remains unreleased by the Tea Board. "The association learns the commerce ministry has stated that with regard to the matter of pending subsidies, Tea Board has informed that all eligible cases where subsidies were sanctioned have been disbursed already... This statement has demoralised the industry as it

PM Modi spends time at tea estate in Assam, promotes tourism around it

Taking to his X handle, he urged tourists to visit Assam's tea gardens during their visits to the state

Higher wage costs, lower price realisation add to tea companies' woes

Both West Bengal and Assam hiked wage rates from June and October 2023, respectively

Tea exports decline by 1.17% to 207.14 mkgs in first 11 months of 2023

Tea exports from India have declined by 1.17 per cent to 207.14 million kgs in the January-November period of 2023, according to official data. The country shipped out 209.60 mkgs of tea during a similar 11-month period of the previous year. During the calendar year 2022, the total tea exports were 231.08 mkgs. Region-wise, exports from North India, comprising primarily the states of Assam and West Bengal, stood at 125.27 mkgs, down from 132.21 mkgs in the comparable periods of 2023 and 2022 respectively, the Tea Board data said. Shipments from South India during the first 11 months of 2023 increased to 81.87 mkgs from 77.39 mkgs in the previous similar period, according to the data. Industry sources said that the dip in exports was due to the volume loss in the Iran market due to payment problems. The Iranian market constitutes 20 per cent of India's total tea exports after the Commonwealth of Independent States bloc. The sources also said the export scenario for the full calen

Tata Starbucks reports loss of Rs 24.97 cr, revenue up 70% in FY23

Tata Starbucks has reported a net loss of Rs 24.97 crore from its operations in India for the financial year ended March 31, 2023, according to financial data accessed through business intelligence platform Tofler. However, its revenue from operations was at Rs 1,086.89 crore for the said period, up 70 per cent helped by the addition of more cafes and expansion of the network in more cities in India. In India, Starbucks cafes are operated by Tata Starbucks Pvt Ltd. It is a 50:50 Joint Venture between Tata Consumer Product Ltd (TCPL) and Emerald City CV, a wholly-owned entity of Starbucks Corporation, USA. Tata Starbucks had reported a net loss of Rs 94.84 crore in FY22 and its revenue from operations was at Rs 636.11 crore. In FY23, Tata Starbucks' Advertising promotional expenses increased 84.45 per cent to Rs 34.05 crore. It was at Rs 18.46 crore a year ago. Besides, it has also paid a royalty of Rs 76.83 crore in the financial year ended March 31, 2023. Tata Starbucks has exp

Tea production declines by 6.18% to 127.12 million kgs in November 2023

Tea production in the country has dipped by 6.18 per cent to 127.12 million kilograms in November 2023. According to Tea Board data, the production in the year-ago month was 135.49 million kgs. In North India, primarily comprising Assam and West Bengal, the production volume was at 106.23 million kgs (mkgs), down from 114.18 mkgs in the same period previous year. The production figures in November 2023 in South India stood lower at 20.89 mkgs from 21.31 mkgs in the same month of 2022. Maintaining the trend, the production of small growers was higher than the organised gardens in the month under review. Small growers produced 67.50 mkgs in November 2023, Tea Board data said. Tea Board had issued notifications regarding plucking restrictions during the winter months in order to preserve the quality of bushes. For tea estates in Darjeeling and gardens located at higher elevations, the last date for plucking of green leaves was December 11, 2023. The same for North Bengal's Dooars a

Tata Consumer Products in talks for acquisitions to expand globally: Report

CEO Sunil D'Souza hinted that the company would not acquire in the sector where there is already fragmentation like fizzy drinks and processed snacks

Tea exports decline 4.93% to to 157.92 million/kg during Jan-Sep

Tea exports from India during January to September declined 4.93 per cent to 157.92 million kg, according to latest Tea Board data. During the first nine months of 2022, exports stood at 166.11 million kg. From North India, primarily the states of Assam and West Bengal, tea exports dropped 6.61 per cent to 96.28 million kg in the reporting period, compared with 103.09 million kg in the corresponding nine months a year ago, the data showed. In the southern region, shipments fell marginally by 2.19 per cent to 61.64 million kg from January to September. During the entire calendar year 2022, tea exports from India stood at 231 million kg. Sources in the Indian Tea Association (ITA), the apex body of planters, said the export scenario remains grim as shipments to Iran are uncertain due to payment issues. The Iran market constitutes nearly 20 per cent of India's total tea exports, followed by the CIS group of countries, they said.