Nepal brews a fresh crisis for Darjeeling tea with cheaper leaves

A notification banning blends of imported tea in GI-tagged teas has almost pushed Tata Consumer Products, the biggest buyer, out of the market

A notification from Tea Board India issued last year to put brakes on imports has had an unexpected outcome: It has brushed off the biggest buyer of Darjeeling tea, Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL), and exacerbated the weakening financial condition of the fabled gardens that produce some of the best tea in the world.

Imports had been eating into the share of Indian tea and depressing prices at the auctions; checking it was an ask from the industry; Nepal — with properties similar to Darjeeling but cheaper — accounted for a major chunk.

The Tea Board, in November 2021, came out with