New Delhi, Nov. 8: Tata Tea has enhanced regional variation in tea blends as part of an overall plan to re-launch its products with improved packaging and quality. The company also plans to launch iced-tea next year under the Tetley brand acquired about two years back. Also on the anvil are new products under the Tata Tea overall brand which would cater to regional tea preferences, Tata Tea’s vice-president marketing Vivek Mathur said.

He said new flavours of tea could also be launched under the Tetley brand within a few years. “Based on the preferences of people we will use different blends for different regions. The packaged tea leaves that one gets in Mumbai will be different from the ones in Delhi,” deputy managing director Percy Siganporia explained.

However, it will not be possible to identify regional variations in blends from the packaging, Mathur added.

Siganporia said Tata Tea leads in the branded tea segment. “The brand will change its imagery in terms of a more refined brand, but will not increase the prices.”

The company posted a net profit of Rs 30.78 crore in the second quarter ended September, against Rs 52.39 crore a year ago. Net profit last fiscal was Rs 71.96 crore on a turnover of Rs 785 crore.

Commenting on the decline in performance in the last quarter, Siganporia said that the company’s volumes grew by 3 per cent in a depressed tea market.

Tata Tea has also launched an advertisement campaign produced by Bharat Bala of ‘Vandemataram’ fame.