New Delhi: According to reports, tea is the second-most consumed drink in the world after water. India has an intricate relationship with tea, with most of the people in the country consuming it in different types of mood. Some drink tea to refresh the mood and uplift the spirit, some sip on tea simply as a leisurely activity. Whenever a guest comes into the house, tea is offered.
India is one of the largest producers of tea and is home to renowned teas like Assam and Darjeeling. The tea industry of the country has several global tea brands. In India, the Tea Board of India controls the production of tea, its certification, exportation and all the facets of trade. Tea in India has a cultural heritage, economic prowess, and technological advancement.
How did India get to know about tea?
India got to know about tea thanks to the British colonial rulers. The British Empire aimed to end China’s monopoly on tea and found out that the soil and weather of this country were suitable to cultivate it. So they decided to develop a tea garden in India.
In about 1774, Warren Hastings, who was then the Former Governor-General of India sent some seeds of China tea to George Bogle, who was the British emissary in Bhutan, for planting. However, that experiment possibly failed. In 1776, the great English botanist Sir Joseph Banks was enstrusted with preparing a series of notes on tea cultivation. It was Banks who recommended the cultivation of tea in India.
In 1780, Robert Kyd experimented with tea cultivation in India with seeds that came from China. After a few decades, Robert Bruce discovered that tea plants grew in the wild in the Upper Brahmaputra Valley. In May 1838, the first 12 chests of manufactured tea produced from the Assam leaf were shipped to London and sold at the auctions there. It led to the development and expansion of tea cultivation in India and companies were formed for that. Apart from Assam, Darjeeling became another hotspot for tea cultivation and some of the pioneer companies include the Jorehaut Tea Company and George Williamson.
