Historically introduction of tea in India is a recent phenomenon. The beverage was introduced by the British during their rule in order to counter expanding Chinese tea industry.
The British procured seeds of the tea plant from China and introduced it in Eastern India mainly in the state of Assam and West Bengal. The cultivation later spread to the Nilgiris in Southern India in the Western Ghats region.
The introduction of tea consumption was initiated by the British. This led to inculcation of tea into Indian lifestyle. Today tea is widely consumed all over the country. After China, India is the largest producer of tea leaf in the World. The growth in terms of consumption a well as production has been tremendous. The country also exports the leaf to the tune of 2000 crores per year.
The benefit has accrued from increased production and exports in terms of revenue generation. The industry is labor intensive hence offers jobs to a million laborers of which half are women. The cultivation in India takes place mainly in Assam, Darjeeling in West Bengal and the Nilgiri in the South.
A large number of tea estates are established in these regions. Most of the processing and packaging factories are also established within these estates or tea gardens as they are called. As in earlier times loose tea was circulated commonly before established brands came into the picture. Loose tea market in India is still substantial but the brand popularity has increased tremendously.
The popularity of brands has introduced varied forms of tea blended to perfection. Black leaf from Assam is most popular but slowly premium varieties are also making their presence felt. Green tea and organic tea are also becoming popular. Besides the aromatic leaf from Darjeeling though expensive also finds consumers in India and abroad.
Some of the leading brands in India are:
These brands have a large share of the packet tea market in India. Innovative packaging and fine art of blending various leaves has lead to increasing popularity of branded tea in India.
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