Commercial production of tea in India began after the conquest of large areas by the British East

India Company, at which point large tracts of land were converted for mass tea production. The
widespread popularity of tea as a recreational drink began in earnest in the 1950s, after a successful
advertising campaign by the India Tea Board.
India is one of the world's leading producers of tea - 23 per cent share by volume in 2013. The tea
produced in India is among the finest in the world owing to strong geographical indications, heavy
investments in tea processing units, continuous innovation, augmented product mix and strategic market
expansion. A number of renowned teas, such as Assam and Darjeeling, also grow exclusively in
India. Indian tea companies have acquired a number of iconic foreign tea enterprises including
British brands Tetley and Typhoo. India is also the world's largest tea-drinking nation as over 70 per
cent of its tea is consumed within India itself.
The major tea-producing states in India are: Assam, West Bengal, Tamil
Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal
Pradesh, Karnataka, Sikkim, Nagaland, Uttarakhand,Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Bihar, Orissa
and Nilgiris in South India.
As of 2013 the consumption of green tea in India was growing by over 50% a year.
India has a significant share in the international tea market with a 12 % share of world tea exports in 2013-14
The tea industry is also India's second-largest employer with over 3.5 million workers employed in over 1,500 tea-
growing estates


Key Markets and Export Destinations

Russia, the US, the UK, the UAE, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Germany, Australia, Japan, the
Netherlands, Ireland, Poland and Sri Lanka are some of the major global markets for exports of Indian
tea. The CIS countries accounted for 19.8% of total exports in 2013-14 with US$ 152.46 million.
Between 2007-08 and 2011-12, exports grew from US$ 470 million to US$ 670 million, growing at a rate
of 9.2%. In 2013-14, it stood at US$ 746.46 million and in volume terms, India registered exports of 225.7
million kg.

India's tea exports are largely in the form of bulk tea, which accounted for approximately 78% of total exports
during 2013-14.
In 2013-14, the Russian federation was the topmost importer of Indian tea at 38.6 million kg, followed by UAE and
Iran at 23.33 and 22.9 million kg respective




India is one of the world's leading producers of tea - 23 per cent share by volume in 2013. The tea
produced in India is among the finest in the world owing to strong geographical indications, heavy
investments in tea processing units, continuous innovation, augmented product mix and strategic market
expansion. The main growing regions lie in Northeast India, including Assam, the Darjeeling district and
the Dooars region of North Bengal, and in the Nilgiris in South India.
Today, India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, although over 70 per cent of its tea is
consumed within India itself. A number of renowned teas, such as Assam and Darjeeling, also grow
exclusively in India. The Indian tea industry has grown to own many global tea brands and has
evolved into one of the most technologically equipped tea industries in the world. Tea production,
certification, exportation, and all other facets of the tea trade in India is controlled by the Tea Board
of India.