Top 7 Tea Producing States in India (Updated for 2024)

25 Apr, 2024

India is indeed the second-largest producer of tea in the world. Indian tea is widely consumed and appreciated as one of the most popular beverages. Among the largest tea producing states in India, Assam takes the first place. Indian tea is popular globally because of its strong geographical indications, heavy investment in production units, modern innovations, augmented product inclusions, and strategic market expansion. Moreover, the consumption of tea in India alone accounts for 80% of the total tea production in India.

Tea Production in India 2022-23

In the year 2022-23, India produced 1,374.97 million kilograms of tea, which marked an increase from the 1,344.40 million kilograms produced in the previous year, 2021-22.

The northern region of India is the largest producer of tea, which accounts for 83% of the country’s annual tea production in 2022-2023. where the majority of tea production in India comes from Assam followed by West Bengal. Furthermore, the southern region of India generates about 17% of the country’s tea production with the major tea producing states being Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.

India - Top Tea Exporter

India is ranked among the top 5 tea exporters in the world. It makes up approximately 10% of the total exports. The total value of the tea exported from India for the year 2022-23 was around US $ 793.78 Million.

Moreover, Indian Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri tea are considered one of the finest quality tea and largest producers of tea in the world. There are mainly 6 types of tea that are exported out of India: 

1. Black tea

2. Regular Tea

3. Green Tea

4. Herbal Tea

5. Masala Tea

6. Lemon Tea

Among all, black tea is mainly exported from India, which accounts for 96% of the total exports.

So let's move on to know the Top Tea Producing States in India.

Top 7 Tea Producing States in India 

1. Assam

Assam is the largest producer of tea in India, Assam contributes to half of the total tea produced in India. The tea-producing region of Assam lies on either side of the Brahmaputra River. The daytime temperature of the region rises to about 36 °C, which results in greenhouse-like conditions of extreme humidity and heat. Therefore, These tropical climatic conditions contribute to Assam’s unique malty taste, for which the tea is popular around the world. Assam Tea is widely known as black tea named after the region of its production.

In history, Assam has been the second commercial largest tea producer after southern China.  Moreover, Southern China and Assam are the only two regions in the world with native tea plants.

Furthermore, the main districts in Assam known for being the largest producer of tea include Lakhimpur, Kamrup, Sivasagar, Goalpara, Cachar, Derrang, and Nagaon, making it the largest tea producing state in India.

2. West Bengal

West Bengal ranks second after Assam as the largest producer of tea in India. Its production accounts for more than 25 percent of the tea produced in India. The main districts of West Bengal that produce tea are Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar among others.

Darjeeling tea is widely popular for its flavor. Furthermore, In tea producing states in India Darjeeling operates at an area of over 437 acres at 6800 feet above the level of the sea. Darjeeling is also famous for producing varieties of tea such as green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong tea. Moreover, it also exports tea on a large scale. Darjeeling has a total of 84 tea estates operating.

3. Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri hills)

Nilgiri hills in the western ghats are famous for their strong and aromatic tea production. The geographical area of Tamil Nadu is one of the main reasons behind the aromatic tea. It is located at an altitude of 1000 to 2500 meters and receives rainfall of about 60-90 inches annually, which is a plus sign for the tea plantation,one can also find exotic tea varieties such as white teas, green teas, oolong teas, and orange teas in Tamil Nadu.

4. Karnataka

Karnataka comes next in our list of the top tea producing states in India. It also plays an important role in contributing to tea production in India. Karnataka state includes tea plantations in different areas of Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, etc. Thus, lush green tea covers southern India which not only produces tea but also grows crops of higher commercial value like coffee.

5. Kerala - Munnar tea plantation

In the mountain ranges of the western, Munnar is the hill station located at the mountain ranges of the western ghats. Munnar tea plantation is situated at a height of 5,200 feet above sea level. 

Moreover, It is known to be the home of India’s largest tea plantations. Kerala has earned a significant reputation as the highest tea producing state in india. There are around 50+ tea estates in and around Munnar, which produce tea on a large scale. Many of them belong to the TATA Group.

Kerala is preferred for tea cultivation as it has suitable climatic conditions for growing tea in terms of temperature and rainfall. 

6. Himachal Pradesh

The Kangra valley located in Himachal Pradesh is mainly used for the production of tea. The tea produces their imparts a unique flavor and aroma because of which it is also known as the ' Valley of gods '. Green and black teas are the two very important varieties of Himachal Pradesh. 

In addition, the tea gardens of Himachal Pradesh are visually soothing in terms of landscape and thus attract visitors. Therefore, tea cultivation in Himachal Pradesh also contributes towards tourist attraction.

7. Tripura

Tea Gardens of Tripura are among the top tea producing states in india. The state receives an annual rainfall of about 2100 mm uniformly distributed throughout the year, whereas the temperature varies from 10 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius.

Here, the soil is generally fertile, which adds up to increased productivity. Thus, the agro-climatic condition of the state is ideal for tea cultivation on a large scale. Mainly CTC tea is produced in Tripura. 

Conclusion

Finally, the above facts prove that India is the largest tea producing country in the world. Thus, you can say that India is a hub for tea plantation and production of various forms of tea, whose demands are not limited to India but also cover the international markets with a proven high export rate of tea. 

All the credit goes to the tea producing states in India, such as Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, which enable the country to increase its productivity. As a result, India ranked as the second-largest producer of tea in the world. All thanks to the different varieties of tea produced, unique flavors, aromas, and blends of different spices that make India a competitive player globally.

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