The Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA) has urged Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to intervene and curb the import of low-quality teas from Kenya and Nepal, which are adversely impacting India’s domestic tea industry.
In a formal representation, CISTA raised concerns about the influx of cheap teas from these countries, which are being blended, sold in domestic markets, and re-exported under the Indian tea label. The association highlighted that such practices undermine the reputation of Indian tea while exacerbating an already oversupplied domestic market.
According to CISTA, data from the Kenya Tea Board reveals that between January and October 2024, Kenya exported 13.71 million kilograms of tea to India, marking a sharp increase from the 3.53 million kilograms in 2023—a 288% jump. Similarly, 13.66 million kilograms of tea were imported from Nepal during the same period.
CISTA emphasized that India’s tea industry has been grappling with oversupply issues for years. Regulatory measures, such as early closures of tea seasons initiated by the Tea Board, were introduced to enhance quality, stabilize prices, and manage supply. However, the uncontrolled inflow of imported teas threatens to derail these efforts, the association stated.
Nepal, which exports 80% of its tea production to India, often escapes the stringent regulatory checks imposed on Indian teas by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This disparity has raised alarms among domestic producers about the unchecked import of inferior quality teas flooding the market.
The association expressed concerns that such imports could jeopardize the 150-year-old Indian tea industry. While a segment of merchant exporters might benefit, the broader impact would include diminished quality standards, reduced demand, and suppressed prices in the domestic market—key pillars of the Indian tea industry.
CISTA’s plea underscores the urgent need for policy measures to regulate imports and safeguard the interests of Indian tea growers and manufacturers from the growing threat posed by substandard imports.