The Future of the Indian Tea Industry - Lies in Steeping Sustainability

In this article, Parimal Shah says that to achieve sustainability, the Indian tea industry is making a breakthrough by adopting practices that leave behind a minimal carbon footprint. Be it about the source, production, processing, or post-production, making amendments at various pathways is the only way forward.

- Parimal Shah

Tea is a staple in Indian households. The country rules the roost on the world stage as it produced more than 1.3 million tonnes of tea in FY 2021–22, second only to China. About 83 per cent of the annual tea production in 2022 was from the northern part majorly Assam and West Bengal and the residual 17 per cent was from the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. As much as tea is our favourite beverage, it is important to understand that the tea industry has some long-lasting impacts on the environment. Climate change is a reality and there is no option but to deal with it head-on. The UN’s Sustainability Development Goals have given a major push to the Indian tea industry, which is thriving to achieve sustainability by making changes at various levels of its operations. Besides, the government has been at the forefront to enhance the potential of small tea growers by helping them climb up the value chain and by value addition to the tea for better price realization. Let us have a look at different sustainable approaches that leading tea-producing companies are making use of and how these are paving the way for a better future.

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