The Art of Brewing & Blending

How does a daughter-in-law redefine a family tea empire into a gourmet brand with innovative blends? It’s a question Ekta Jain, Chief Marketing Officer, Octavius Tea & Industries Ltd., a century-old heritage in Darjeeling, seems to have answered well.

- Joseph Rozario

Life is an unpredictable and unexpected adventure—nothing defines my journey with Octavius Tea and Industries better than these words. As someone who hails from the tea haven that is Assam, after marriage, when I entered a family that was adept at the science and economics of tea, it all seemed written in the stars.

Innovating my cuppa

Our family-owned company enjoys a rich heritage that spans more than a century. It began its journey in the late 1800s during the British Raj, when a tea-loving Scotsman incepted Octavius Tea and Industries Ltd. on the majestic hills of Darjeeling. Cut to 2003, the company was acquired by my family, who retained the original name even after the acquisition. This gave us a comprehensive understanding of the tea production process right from the leaf to the cup. It also enabled us to expand Octavius into a brand that boasted immaculate quality and immense variety.

One success led to another and Octavius went on to acquire an excellent coffee plantation in Kushalnagar, in Coorg, along with a coffee curing unit. This not only gave us full control of the plantation but also production of both tea and coffee. In 2007, we began to spread our wings, extending our footprint to international shores, and then steadily we grew into one of the top exporters of tea and coffee, which brought accolades from the government too.