India Tea News for the week ending January 17, 2025
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Wagh Bakri To Expand its Instant Tea Business
Wagh Bakri Tea has ended 2024 on a high note, with annual sales reaching 60 million kilos, making them India’s 3rd largest tea manufacturer with a 9% market share. 2025 will continue to be bullish as the company has announced its expansion plans.
This includes a new manufacturing unit in Dakor, Gujarat, which will boost Wagh Bakri’s instant tea blending volumes fourfold to 20,000 packets per day. The facility is being set up with an investment of over $10 million and is expected to open later this year. It will accommodate greater storage as well. The company is a significant buyer of Indian tea and imports a small volume from Kenya and Sri Lanka.
The company is focused on its domestic market and plans to deepen market penetration in the south and east. In its hometown, Ahmedabad, its market share is at 80%. The aim seems to be to close the gap between the top two contenders, HUL and Tata Consumer Products. Wagh Bakri operates 55 tea lounges across the country with plans to open 8-10 new ones annually.
TRA Launches Learning Platform
The Tea Research Association (TRA) Tocklai, the world’s oldest and largest tea research institute, has unveiled LearnTea. This global learning platform distills over 100 years of tea cultivation expertise into accessible courses for enthusiasts and industry professionals worldwide. LearnTea offers deep insights into tea science—from thriving garden management to tackling climate challenges.
The online courses are designed for tea enthusiasts and professionals who are engaged in tea plantations and are taught by experienced resource persons. There are six courses up at the moment, and the fee ranges from Rs 500-800.
LearnTea has been designed in-house by Rituraj Sharma, Communications Officer TRA Tocklai. “The idea of the online tea courses is to share Tocklai’s tea knowledge with both the Indian and global tea industries while also generating revenue through these courses. The response has been good,” said TRA Secretary Joydeep Phukan.
TRA serves the research and development needs of the Indian tea industry, promoting research aimed at enhancing productivity and quality. A pioneer in tea R&D, TRA also provides extension services to the industry. The Tocklai Experimental Station was established in 1911.
Roopak Goswami
Episode 201
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