Performance of Indian Tea exports: Constraints & prospects

Tea has occupied an important place in India's economy for the last several decades. Tea is one of the most important non-alcoholic beverage drinks in the world and has been gaining further popularity as an important ‘health drink’ in view of its purported medicinal value. The market for Indian tea is changing day by day. In global scenario, Indian tea is losing its position due to high price and poor quality. The industry is facing crisis with prices witnessing inevitable downturn in the world tea market auctions since 1998, and plunging exports. In this paper, Indian Tea, its marketing scenario, constraints and prospects are discussed.