Make Indian Tea Globally Competitive, Urges VP
He noted that India was one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of tea and due attention must be paid to proper processing and production alongside tea cultivation.
Coonoor:Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, who inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Tea Research Foundation (TRF) of the United Planters’ Association of South India (Upasi), head-quartered here, appealed to the stakeholders in the tea industry to develop robust Indian tea brands to expand their market footprint and improve the quality, branding and value-addition to make Indian tea more competitive in the global market.
Addressing the gathering, he commended the contribution of TRF which has served the tea industry, plantation owners, and workers for a century now. He noted that India was one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of tea and due attention must be paid to proper processing and production alongside tea cultivation.
The Vice President stated that plantation owners should be continuously trained on maintaining quality in line with changing market demands. He stated that as the global tea market becomes increasingly competitive, new approaches, innovations and research were essential.
Highlighting the competition from other tea-producing nations, he emphasised the need to focus on research and innovation regarding the effective marketing of Indian tea, revenue enhancement and finding solutions to the challenges faced by the plantation industry. He also urged the need to properly assess the requirements of the tea sector and formulate robust plans in collaboration with the Central and state governments.
Radhakrishnan stressed that Indian tea production must meet global standards through the development of skilled experts for research, the modernisation of tea factories, and the execution of necessary revitalisation works and called upon tea producers and exporters to move beyond mere bulk exports and sales to create strong Indian tea brands. He urged them to advance with modern thinking and great dynamism to capture the global market and stressed the need for further boost for global visibility of Indian tea brands.
The Vice President urged TRF to mark its centenary year with a lasting legacy by expanding the network of tea research centres to more regions and upgrading them with modern equipment.
Highlighting the pivotal role of workers in the tea industry, he emphasised the need to pay greater attention to their welfare. He suggested that Upasi could consider establishing medical centres at select locations across four south Indian states to provide medical consultations and general health check-up for plantation workers as part of the centenary celebrations. Industrial welfare and worker welfare must go hand-in-hand, he stressed.
Highlighting the importance of value-addition in tea, the Vice President stated that leading companies in the industry should collaborate to create new products, production methods and market opportunities. Noting that India was not only a major tea producer but also one of the largest consumers of tea, he urged the industry to fully capitalise on the opportunities in the domestic market. He urged all stakeholders in the tea sector to work in tandem with the government and leverage this favourable environment to strengthen plantations, the industry and tea sales.
Tamil Nadu Governor R.V. Arlekar, deputy chairman of the Tea Board, C. Murugan, and president of Upasi, Ajoy Thippayya, spoke on the occasion.
