Indian tea exports reported an 18.4 per cent rise in value in 2025 to ₹8,488.43 crore, buoyed by a weaker rupee against major foreign currencies such as the dollar and the euro and record shipments.
Value of cumulative exports stood at ₹8,488.43 crore in 2025, compared with ₹7,167.41 crore, trade data showed. For the first time, exporters fetched over ₹300 a kg for teas, up 8.1 per cent in 2025, compared with ₹279.79 per kilo on an average.
“A weaker rupee certainly acted as a tailwind for us, even though there was a marginal growth in dollar terms as well,” a leading exporter said, explaining the data. Teas fetched $3.4 a kg on an average in 2025, compared with $3.34 a kilo on an average in 2024.
Germany and Japan, known to be connoisseurs of Darjeeling tea, continued to be the top markets in terms of price realisation, fetching far higher than the average. Exports to Germany and Japan fetched $7.65 a kilo and $5.99 a kilo, respectively, on an average.
Geographic distribution
North India, comprising Assam and Bengal, recorded strong gains in exports in 2025, while South India posted a drop. Exporters said the North India gains were driven by Iraq and Iran (directly and via UAE) which buy a lot of orthodox tea, produced in Assam.
Data showed shipments from North India jumped by 22.91 per cent, outpacing the broader gain of 9.5 per cent, to 191.11 million kg (mkg). Exports from the region stood at 155.49 (mkg) a year ago.
In contrast, exports from South India, which mostly comprise of the CTC variety, went down by 11.39 per cent to 89.29 (mkg), from 100.68 (mkg) in 2024.
However, the South Indian shipments did better than their North Indian
counterpart, fetching 12.07 per cent more than the previous year, even as it lagged North Indian peers in per unit
realisation.
Import challenge
A section of the tea industry pointed out that there is a need to tighten rules on import of inferior quality tea to India. At times, they are being re-exported as India origin tea, tarnishing the Indian tea brand.
Sources said the Tea Board of India is in final stages of preparing a standard operating protocol (SoP) to monitor quality of tea and it is expected to be rolled out soon. Previously, the Board has observed that it would want to check every consignment of tea on food safety parameters laid down by the government.
While imports continue to remain a concern, especially for the Darjeeling gardens, industry leaders cautioned about maintaining the quality of crops in India as well, keeping in mind stricter food safety norms being ushered in the EU.
