A Brief History of the Indian Tea Trade
12/3/20255 min read
Robert Fortune’s Tea Heist
While the Singpo people in Northern India had already been brewing tea (made with the native Camellia sinensis var assamica variety) for millennia, commercial tea production was first introduced to India by the British East India Company in 1837. In previous years, the British had developed a highly lucrative tea trade that was financing their imperialistic pursuits, and they wanted to establish a consistent tea supply to meet the growing demand for the beverage. India, at the time a colony of the British East India Company, was planned to be the homeland for British tea cultivation. However, China had a monopoly on the commercial tea trade, and the methods of tea production remained a closely guarded secret. So in 1848, the British East India Company commissioned the Scottish botanist Robert Fortune to learn the secrets of tea production, steal Camellia sinensis var Sinensis saplings from China’s interior, and safely transport them to India. It took him two and a half years and several failed attempts, but in 1851, Fortune had successfully smuggled living tea plants and skilled Chinese tea makers to India. These first saplings were brought to the northern Indian town of Saharanpur, in what is now the state of Uttar Pradesh. The technology and knowledge brought over from China later became instrumental in India’s flourishing tea industry. Additionally, the few surviving saplings became the basis for various revered Indian teas including Darjeeling, Kangra, and Sikkim teas.
Growth of the Indian Tea Industry and its Aftereffects
Following Robert Fortune’s mission, the Indian tea industry grew rapidly, consuming vast tracts of land for tea plantations. By the turn of the century, India had become the leading tea producer in the world. The emergence of the tea industry drastically changed the economic climate of India, transforming India’s economy from one of primarily subsistence farmers into one of industrial agriculture. As a result, India’s economic self-sufficiency was reduced in favor of market dependence. Furthermore, the plantation model of industry had social and economic consequences in India. Tea plantations mostly employed indentured laborers, who then became dependent on their employers for everything from food, medicine, and shelter, to education for their children. Unfortunately, many of these tea estates failed to provide the basic necessities required to sustain a reasonable quality of life.² Even once their contracts expired, many of these laborers found themselves tied to the plantations due to exploitative conditions, a lack of land ownership, and a lack of alternative opportunities. Their descendants then became tied to the plantations for the same reasons.
Tea and the Indian Independence Movement
The poor working and living conditions on many tea plantations made tea an important symbol during the struggle for Indian independence from Britain. In resistance to British rule, many Indians boycotted British goods, including tea, in part because of the poor working conditions imposed on Indian laborers. After India won its independence, the British-owned tea plantations were sold to Indian farmers, and tea became a symbol of national unity.³
The Plantations Labour Act of 1951
Post-independence, India passed the Plantations Labour Act of 1951, which required the plantations to provide housing, healthcare, subsidized food, crèches, sanitation, and education to workers and their families. The PLA also limits employer control over workers, including prohibiting management from denying public access to the “labor lines” where workers live (a practice previously used to hide civil rights abuses on plantations).⁴ However, inadequate enforcement of the Plantations Labour Act meant that the conditions on many tea plantations rarely improved.
Modern Legislation
Today, tea production is regulated by The Tea Board of India, whose responsibilities include increasing tea production and productivity, improving product quality, promoting domestic tea products, supporting research and development, and supporting worker welfare. In 2021, The Tea Board launched the Tea Development and Promotion Scheme, a government initiative intended to support tea producers and traders in research, development, and promotional activities; support the development of small tea farmers; implement regulatory reforms; and improve workers’ welfare.¹
In recent years, tea worker welfare has been an issue discussed among Indian legislators. In 2020, the Indian Parliament passed the Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code, which implements a set minimum wage, increases paid maternity leave, and gives all workers the right to benefits (insurance, pension, gratuity, maternity benefit, unemployment benefit, etc.). The code also expands hospitals and benefits available through the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). ESIC is intended to provide economic protection against the events of sickness, maternity, and disablement resulting from employment injuries. ESIC provides employees and their families with healthcare and financial assistance to compensate for any lost wages resulting from these conditions. Previously, ESIC benefits were only available to employees in certain sectors. However, the recent reforms make ESIC benefits available to all workers, including plantation workers. The reformed codes also expand the range of ESIC hospitals to reach all of India’s 740 districts.⁵
Additionally, on October 19th, 2025, a new bill was introduced to the Assam Legislative Assembly that, if passed, would transfer the land ownership of tea estates over to the tea workers whose families have lived on and maintained the land for generations. Without formal land rights, these communities have remained vulnerable, excluded from economic opportunities, and trapped in cycles of poverty. Granting them land ownership is expected to affirm the dignity of these communities and provide them with material security.
The initiative also includes the creation of magistrate and Deputy Superintendent of Police posts specifically in tea garden areas to ensure effective local governance. Additional welfare measures, such as access to clean drinking water, skill development programs, and self-reliance initiatives, are envisioned to empower the community and more fully integrate them into Assam’s mainstream social and economic standing. The initiative also plans to reserve 3 percent of new positions in the Assam Civil Service, Assam Police Service, and other lower-level government positions for tea garden youth.⁶
Conclusion
The history of the Indian tea trade has been shaped by politics, colonialism, and economic factors since its introduction to India in the 17th century. The tea trade has since impacted the culture, economy, and livelihoods of Indians in countless ways, and it will continue to do so as time moves on.
Sources:
1. https://ibef.org/exports/indian-tea-industry
3. https://www.seriouseats.com/indian-tea-history-5221096
4. https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/human_rights_institute/45/
5. https://labour.gov.in/sites/default/files/labour_code_eng.pdf
Tea plays an important role in India’s history, economy, and culture. India produces around 1,382.03 million kilograms of tea per year, with around 80% of their tea products being consumed domestically. This makes India both a top tea consumer, and a top producer of tea. The Indian tea market is a multi-million dollar industry that employs over three million people. The primary tea producing regions in India are Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.¹ India is well known for their teas, and is the sole producer of multiple prized black teas, namely Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri black teas. However, India wasn’t always a major tea producing region. Today’s thriving Indian tea industry finds its roots in British colonialism.
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