Career in Tea

The cup that cheers us in the morning is none other than tea. It is a beverage made from the Camellia sinesis plant. Tea is the world’s most consumed drink, after water. It is believed that tea originated in northeast India, north Myanmar and southwest China, but the exact place where the plant first grew is not known. Tea has been with us for a long time. There is evidence that tea was consumed in China 5,000 years ago.
Tea production and processing constitutes a main source of livelihoods for millions of families in developing countries and is the main means of subsistence for millions of poor families, who live in a number of least developed countries.
The tea industry is a main source of income and export revenues for some of the poorest countries and, as a labour-intensive sector, provides jobs, especially in remote and economically disadvantaged areas. Tea can play a significant role in rural development, poverty reduction and food security in developing countries, being one of the most important cash crops.
Tea consumption can bring health benefits and wellness due to the beverage’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and weight loss effects. It also has cultural significance in many societies.
Re-emphasizing the call from the Intergovernmental Group on Tea to direct greater efforts towards expanding demand, particularly in tea-producing countries, where per capita consumption is relatively low, and supporting efforts to address the declining per capita consumption in traditional importing countries, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate 21 May as International Tea Day.
Tea is not only a healthy drink but it is central to our cultures from China to Argentina and from India to Kenya. India is the second-largest producer of tea globally and Indian tea is one of the finest in the world. As of a 2018 survey, a total of 6.37 lakh hectares of area was cultivated in India for tea production. India is also among the world’s top tea consuming countries, with 80% of the tea produced in the country consumed by the domestic population.
India’s total tea production for the calendar year 2020 was 1,257.52 million kg and for the financial year 2020-21 it was 1,283 million kg. In May 2022, India’s tea production stood at 127.11 million kgs, and it was at 91.77 million kg in April 2022. From January-September 2022, India’s tea production stood at 984.67 million kg.
India exports tea to more than 25 countries throughout the world. Russia, Iran, UAE, USA, the UK, Germany, and China are some of the major importers of tea from India. All these bring more opportunities for young people to build their career related to the tea industry. There are different job roles in the tea industry. The Indian tea industry provides numerous direct and indirect job opportunities across the country. Right from research to marketing it has different options and opportunities.
Tea planter or the owner may be from different academic backgrounds or even less qualified academically. But to become Managers or Assistant Managers it is important that one must qualify academically like management.
There are different institutes that offer special courses in connection with tea. Assam Agricultural University based in Jorhat has a specialized course in Tea Husbandry & Technology. One must know that employability skills are also needed to be successful in the tea industry apart from academic qualifications. (With direct inputs from UN publication)
Ranjan K Baruah
(Ranjan K Baruah is a career mentor and skill trainer can be reached at bkranjan@gmail.com or 8473943734 for any career-related queries.)