• The Tea Board India was established under the Tea Act, 1953. The Board is charged with the overall development of the tea industry in India and it is functioning under the administrative control of the Central Government, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Commerce.

• Even though per capita consumption of tea is lower in India as compared to other countries, due to its population, tea consumption in India accounts for 19% of the global consumption.

• Almost 76% of the total production is consumed within the country. This distinct position is in sharp contrast with other producing countries, particularly Kenya and Sri Lanka, which hardly have any strong domestic demand and hence, they are able to export most of their production.

• In India, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are the major tea growing states. They account for 98% of the total production. Other traditional states, where tea is grown, are Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Karnataka. The non-traditional states that have entered the tea map of India include Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.