Tea in India is indigenous to the Assam region with the first
commercial plantation began in1840s from the seeds and cuttings
transported from China. Tea is grown in three main regions
namely Assam and Darjeeling in the North Eastern part of the
Country and Nilgiri Hills covering the Southern part of India,
with bulk of the production, approx 75%, stemming from the
Northern region. The tea gardens in India thus spread across
approximately 430,000 hectares.
Economic Significance
of Indian Tea Industry
Teas produced in Assam, which is the largest growing area, is
well known for its strong liquoring flavour whilst Darjeeling
teas are characterized by a tantalizing aroma and light flavour
of liquor.
India is the world's largest tea producer contributing approximately
28 per cent of the world's tea production. In the year 2000
India produced 823Mn kg of Tea. Bulk of India's tea production
is consumed locally by its large domestic population, which
is in excess of 1Bn. However, India is the 4th largest exporter
of tea with a market share of approx 15%.
General Information
Location
Southern Asia,
bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between
Burma and Pakistan
1,030,000,000