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Key Points

India's tea exports have hit a record $924 million in 2024, marking a 10% growth from last year. The Tea Board is now eyeing non-traditional markets like Canada and Australia while maintaining strong ties with existing buyers. Plans include expanding tea tasting infrastructure and launching globally certified courses to train professionals. Additionally, the Board will collaborate with the Spice Board to create innovative tea blends for international markets.

Key Points: India Tea Exports Hit Record High as Board Eyes New Markets

  • Exports up 10% to 255M kg, a 10-year high
  • Targeting Canada, Australia for expansion
  • Plans global tea tasting certification
  • Collaborating with Spice Board for new flavors
2 min read

India eyes new markets after record-breaking exports: Tea Board

India's tea exports surge to $924M in 2024, with the Tea Board targeting Canada and Australia while expanding workforce training and global certification.

"Indian exports are doing very well. It's unprecedented. We exported USD 924 million worth of tea. – Saurav Pahari, Tea Board India"

New Delhi, 21 May

India's tea exports have reached a record high, with the country exporting 255 million kilograms of tea worth USD 924 million in 2024.

To sustain this growth, the Tea Board of India is exploring new international markets while maintaining traditional ones.

Tea Board India's Deputy Chairman Saurav Pahari on Wednesday highlighted that India's tea exports have increased by 10% from 2023, reaching a 10-year high.

Speaking at an event celebrating International Tea Day in the national capital, Pahari said, "Indian exports are doing very well. It's unprecedented. We exported USD 924 million worth of tea. We're now reaching out to newer markets while maintaining our traditional ones."

India is currently the second-largest tea exporter, surpassing Sri Lanka. The Tea Board is targeting non-traditional markets like Canada and Australia, which have shown increasing interest in Indian tea varieties.

The Board plans to enhance tea tasting infrastructure across growing regions and introduce globally certified courses to develop professional tea tasters and establish centers for tea tasting certification that will promote brand value and export readiness.

The Tea Board will engage youth in tea-growing regions as master trainers to build a skilled workforce.

"Youth in tea growing regions will be engaged as master trainers by partnering with companies," Pahari explained. The Board also announced plans to collaborate with the Spice Board to create innovative tea flavours for export markets, leveraging India's expertise in both sectors.

The comprehensive approach combining market expansion, infrastructure development, and skilled workforce training demonstrates India's commitment to strengthening its position in the global tea market.

India accounts for 10 per cent of the world's tea exports, sending tea to more than 25 countries, including the UAE, Iran, Russia, the USA, the UK, Iraq, and others. Black tea accounts for 96% of exports.

The government has also undertaken several initiatives through the Tea Board, including the formation of more than 300 Self-Help Groups (SHG), more than 400 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) and 17 Farmer Producer Companies (FPC).

- ANI

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Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the tea exports article:
P
Priya K.
This is fantastic news! 🎉 As someone from Assam, I've seen firsthand how important tea is for our economy. The focus on youth training is especially good - will help create more local jobs. Hope they maintain quality while expanding to new markets.
R
Rahul S.
Surpassing Sri Lanka is a big achievement. But why only focus on Canada/Australia? Middle East and CIS countries consume more tea per capita. Should strengthen presence there first before venturing into coffee-dominated western markets.
A
Anjali M.
The tea-spice combination idea is brilliant! Imagine masala chai becoming a global phenomenon like Starbucks. But government must ensure small tea growers benefit equally from these exports, not just big corporations.
V
Vikram P.
Good numbers but we're still behind China in exports. Need more focus on premium teas - Darjeeling and Nilgiri can compete with Chinese teas in quality. Also, why no mention of organic tea exports? That's where the future lies.
S
Sunita R.
As a tea lover, I hope this expansion means we'll get better quality tea domestically too! Often the best leaves are exported while we get average quality. The Board should mandate certain quality standards for Indian market as well.
K
Karthik N.
The SHG and FPO initiatives mentioned are crucial. Small tea growers in South India often struggle with middlemen. If exports can directly benefit them, it would transform rural economies. Hope the implementation is as good as the plan.

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