India's tea sector is experiencing steady growth, with tea exports hitting a record high of 254.67 million kg in 2024. This achievement has helped India overtake Sri Lanka and become the third-largest tea exporter in the world.
Having struggled in the last two to three years, the tea sector has now picked up its pace.
Vijay Gopal Chakraborty, Secretary of the Small Tea Producers Association in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, highlighted India's remarkable progress in the global tea market.
Speaking to IANS, he said, “The tea industry experienced a steady expansion in 2024, something that was missing in the previous two to three years. If we analyze last year's statistics, India recorded an export of 254.67 million kg of tea, the highest in the last decade. This translated into revenue realization of ₹7,111 crore, with an average price of ₹280 per kg. Compared to this, in 2023, 231.69 million kg of tea was exported at an average price of ₹265.91 per kg.
Referring to a recent International Tea Committee report, Chakraborty said that India has now surpassed Sri Lanka in the world's tea exports, coming only behind China and Kenya.
Referring to markets for Indian tea, he clarified, "Historically, one of our most important buyers has been Russia, but new doors have opened for the tea trade globally. Roughly 70% of the exports of Indian tea are now destined for countries such as the UAE, Russia, the US, the UK, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, China, Germany, and Turkey.". Strikingly, Turkey is a new and promising market for us, where the average individual drinks as much as six kilograms of tea in a year.
In the future, Chakraborty set ambitious targets for the Indian tea sector. "We have set a significant target for the future. In 2030, we hope to export 300 million kg of tea across the globe. Today, India produces 1,400 million kg of tea every year, of which 1,100 million kg is consumed locally. With the healthy trend in the industry, we are hopeful for further growth in the years to come."
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