Rajya Sabha member Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday informed Parliament that tea imports from African countries and Nepal have increased by 45 per cent in the first half of 2025.

Speaking during Zero Hour at the Rajya Sabha, Shringla said: “India is the second largest producer of tea in the world and the largest consumer.”

The MP from Darjeeling expressed worry at rising tea imports.

“Imports from African countries and Nepal have reportedly risen by more than nearly 45 per cent in the first half of 2025, diluting the global brand value of Indian tea and Darjeeling Tea,” said Shringla.

According to data of the Tea Board of India, tea imports from January to October 2024 were 16.47 million kilos.

The production of Indian tea in 2024 was 1,284 million kilos. The production of Darjeeling Tea in the same year 5.6 million kilos, one of the lowest for the industry.

“Darjeeling Tea carries a geographic indicator (GI) and is regarded the world over as a quality brand of India. It is a heritage, it is not just a product, but a part of our culture, our mornings and our memories,” stated Shringla.

The Darjeeling industry has for long been complaining that cheap Nepal tea is being blended and sold off as Darjeeling Tea by unscrupulous traders.

Shringla, however, raised concerns regarding the increase of tea imports from other countries as well.

“Over 10 lakh workers and farmers and over 60 lakh families depend on the industry,” the parliamentarian added.

Shringla outlined the key challenges affecting the sector, including climate stress, shrinking forest cover, labour shortages, price instability and a sharp rise in low-quality imports.

Calling for immediate intervention, Shringla urged stronger measures to curb low-quality tea imports and protect the premium GI-tagged Darjeeling Tea, as well as tea from Assam and the Nilgiris.

Shringla also emphasised the importance of scaling community-based livelihood models — some that are currently being implemented in Darjeeling — to ensure long-term resilience for tea-garden communities.

Over the years, Darjeeling Tea production has seen a steep fall from 14 million kilos in the 1970s to 5.6 million kilos in 2024, which Shringla said indicated a deep structural decline.