Recent Visitors 4

GTTA Golden Jubilee to Bring Gujarat Tea Traders to Sarangpur

Gujarat Tea Traders Association to Mark 50 Years with Two-Day Sarangpur Event

The Gujarat Tea Traders Association (GTTA) will mark 50 years of its formation with a two-day Golden Jubilee programme at Shri Kashtabhanjan Dev Hanumanji Temple in Sarangpur Dham, Botad district, on October 1 and 2, 2026.

About 700 tea traders from different parts of Gujarat are expected to attend the programme. Traders, brokers and producers from Assam and Kolkata, along with representatives from South India, Siliguri and Tea Board India, are also expected to take part.

The event comes at a time when India’s tea trade is dealing with changes in production, prices, customer preferences and overseas demand. Tea Board India said India’s tea production reached 1,382.74 million kg in financial year 2025-26, while exports touched 282.11 million kg. Export earnings stood at Rs 8,718.83 crore during the year.

For Gujarat’s tea trading community, the Sarangpur meeting is expected to provide a forum to discuss these wider changes and their effect on traders.

GTTA president Manishbhai Patel and honorary secretary Ratanlal Sharma said the association has spent five decades organising and representing traders connected with Gujarat’s tea trade. The Golden Jubilee programme will also look at the association’s next phase, with discussions planned on the present market, new business opportunities, changing consumer tastes and the future of the trade.

The GTTA’s 50-year milestone comes as the structure of India’s tea industry has changed considerably. Tea Board India, which was established under the Tea Act in 1953 and began functioning in its present form on April 1, 1954, is the country’s statutory body for the tea sector. Its responsibilities include production, quality, marketing, research, statistics and support for growers and manufacturers.

India remains one of the world’s largest tea-producing and tea-consuming countries. Assam is the country’s biggest tea-producing state. In 2025, Assam accounted for 687.76 million kg, or 50.20 per cent of India’s production, while West Bengal produced 411.18 million kg, or 30.01 per cent. Tamil Nadu and Kerala were the other major producing states.

This production pattern is important for Gujarat’s traders because a large share of the tea entering the market is linked to producing regions in the north-east and eastern parts of India. Traders, brokers, transporters, wholesalers and retailers form the commercial chain between tea producers and consumers.

The industry is also becoming more diverse. CTC tea remains the main tea consumed in India, while orthodox, green and speciality teas have smaller but important markets, particularly in exports.

The discussions planned at Sarangpur come against a difficult period for parts of the tea industry.

Reports from Assam and West Bengal in August 2026 pointed to falling auction prices, weather-related damage and rising production costs. One industry report recorded a decline in average CTC prices at the Kolkata auction from Rs 291.27 in Sale 26 to Rs 238.77 in Sale 34, a fall of about 17 per cent in less than two months.

Climate conditions are another concern. Recent reporting from Assam has pointed to extreme heat, floods and labour shortages affecting tea plantations and workers. Assam alone accounts for more than half of India’s tea production, making developments in the state important for the wider supply chain.

The Tea Board has also been examining the issue of tea prices. In July 2026, it formed a 10-member committee to study the cost of production and past tea prices and make recommendations on a minimum sustainable price.

These issues are likely to be relevant to traders because changes at the production and auction stages can affect purchase costs, stocks, wholesale prices and retail demand.

India’s tea exports have also reached record levels. Provisional figures reported for calendar year 2025 showed exports of 280.40 million kg, compared with 256.17 million kg in 2024. Export earnings increased to about Rs 8,488 crore.

Tea Board data shows that India’s export markets include the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Russia, China, the United States, Iran, the United Kingdom, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The top 20 markets accounted for 88.21 per cent of India’s exports during April-December 2025-26.

For traders, the changing export map creates both opportunities and risks. Demand from new markets can support sales, while dependence on a limited number of major destinations can expose the trade to changes in international conditions.

Tea Board India has also been working on areas such as tea tasting skills, traceability, warehouse regulation and market promotion. In August 2026, it announced skilled courses in tea tasting at its Darjeeling Tea Research and Development Centre in Kurseong.

The Golden Jubilee programme will also include the announcement of GTTA’s new executive committee for 2026-28.

Past presidents and former honorary secretaries of the association will be honoured during the programme. A commemorative souvenir will also be distributed among members.

The October 1 programme will include the arrival and welcome of guests, a cultural programme and a traditional Dairo folk music session. The October 2 schedule includes a lamp-lighting ceremony, addresses by guests, speeches, the Golden Jubilee programme, the honouring of former office-bearers, the association’s general assembly, distribution of the souvenir and a fellowship gathering.

For the Gujarat tea trade, the meeting comes at a point when the business is closely linked to developments far beyond the state. Production in Assam and West Bengal, auction prices, labour availability, weather conditions, export demand and changing consumer choices can all influence the trading chain.

The GTTA’s 50th anniversary will therefore bring together traders at a time when the industry is facing several practical questions about costs, supply, markets and the changing tea consumer. The discussions at Sarangpur are expected to form an important part of the association’s plans for its next two-year term.