Tea

India's tea production dips 9 % to 133.5 million kg in June: Tea board data

India's tea production dipped 9 per cent to 133.5 million kg in June as compared to the same month of the previous year, according to official data. In June 2024, the country had produced 146.72 million kg of tea, according to data released by the Tea Board. The decline in production was caused by adverse weather conditions and pest attacks, said the Indian Tea Association. Production in North India, comprising West Bengal and Assam, declined to 112.51 million kg in June. It was 121.52 million kg in June last year. Production in South India during June also declined to 20.99 million kg, as against 25.20 million kg in the same month of 2024. Big and organised planters produced 55.21 million kg in June, a decline from 68.38 million kg in the same month of 2024. Production by small growers stood at 68.28 million kg during the month, a dip from 78.34 million kg in June last year. The production volume of the CTC variety was 117.84 million kg, followed by orthodox at 13.82 million kg

Small tea growers ask Centre to set up fair price discovery mechanism

Small tea growers, who contribute more than 50 per cent to the crop production of the country, have urged the Centre to set up a fair and transparent price discovery mechanism so that they can realise a proper value by selling leaves to factories. In a letter to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations (CISTA) suggested a price protection scheme modelled on the lines of the minimum support price (MSP). It said the Tea Board should undertake a detailed study to determine an equitable price-sharing ratio between small growers and factories. Small growers are facing the persistent challenge of poor price realisation, which is undermining the sector's sustainability, CISTA president Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty said. Small growers contribute more than 52 per cent to the country's tea production, and a proper price realisation mechanism should be identified so that livelihoods are sustained, he said. Chakraborty said the association has alre

Makaibari brand owner Luxmi Group buys majority stake in UK's Brew Tea Co

Kolkata-based Luxmi Group, which owns the iconic Makaibari Darjeeling brand, on Tuesday announced that it has acquired a majority stake in UK-based Brew Tea Co, a fast-growing firm which focuses on whole-leaf teas and is known for ethical sourcing and its innovative direct-to-consumer model. Founded in Manchester by Phil and Aideen Kirby, Brew Tea Co has grown into one of the UK's leading specialty tea brands. Its subscription service, delivering 500 g of loose leaf or proper tea bags on a regular basis, now reaches nearly 10,000 homes across the UK, a statement by Luxmi Group said. Co-founders Phil and Aideen Kirby will retain a 20 per cent stake and will continue to lead Brew Tea Co as part of the partnership. "Their vision, hands-on leadership, and deep focus on quality remain central to Brew Tea's growing success," the statement said. "We're excited that with Luxmi, we can now take that same customer promise even further, with even better access to exceptional teas," the ...

Growers welcome Centre's move to include tea in weather insurance scheme

Tea growers hailed the government's decision to bring the sector under the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), which they said would help mitigate losses due to erratic rainfall and rising temperatures. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued a notification on June 10, stating that the insurance scheme would come into effect from the Kharif 2025. States and UTs were asked to expedite the floating of tenders, finalisation of the insurance company and other modalities by June 20 to ensure that farmers can avail the benefit of the scheme. Indian Tea Association (ITA) secretary general Arijit Raha told PTI this is the first time the sector has been brought under the purview of a weather-based insurance scheme. "The tea sector is witnessing frequent fluctuations in production due to erratic rainfall, waterlogging and a rise in temperature, exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Climate change adaptation and mitigation have become a major challenge to keep

Tripura eyeing tea boom as govt support, unused land fuel expansion plans

Tripura is witnessing a big transformation in its tea sector, with large tracts of unused government-allotted land and rising production figures setting the stage for what officials are calling a tea uprising in the northeastern state. Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) Chairman Samir Ghosh said the state's tea industry holds immense potential due to underutilised land and favourable policies. Altogether 12,832 hectares were allotted by the government for tea cultivation, but only 6,000 hectares are currently being utilised. The remaining 6,832 hectares are lying vacant, Ghosh told PTI, emphasising the untapped potential for expanding cultivation. Unlike several other states that cap tea garden land at 4.2 hectares, Tripura imposes no ceiling, allowing both large-scale and small-scale growers to flourish. That gives Tripura a clear competitive edge. Plus, Tripura tea has a very strong liquor it's one of our biggest strengths, Ghosh said. Currently, Tripura has 54 tea gard

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