Tea has found a permanent place in the lives and hearts of diverse peoples the world over, and spread cheer and camaraderie for over 4500 years. Poets and philosophers have lavished praise on it, and perhaps no other beverage has been the object of such ritual and ceremony across the planet. Today, over 3 bn cups of tea are consumed every day across the globe, making it the most popular and cheapest drink in the world after water. Its fragrance, flavour, and gentle aroma generate a sense of pleasure, well being, and fellowship across the world, around the clock. India is the largest producer and consumer of tea in the world. Since the mid-nineteenth century, tea has been one of the largest foreign exchange earners and a major source of state and central taxes. Eco-friendly, it is also a caring industry that generates income and livelihood for nearly 20 m. people in the country. The Heritage of Indian Tea provides a perspective of the history of the tea industry in India, the role tea plays in our lives and that of our country, and the wide-ranging developmental initiatives that have for decades been undertaken by the Indian tea industry. This is a story that needs to be told because few are acquainted with the fascinating process through which the tea that enters their markets and homes passes, and how it beneficially impacts the lives of millions of hitherto marginalized individuals. A well-researched and carefully documented book, it analyses the problems that are threatening to bring the Indian tea industry to its knees and hampering its ability to invest, modernize, grow, and remain competitive in world markets. It raises important questions that deserve serious attention and, above all, decisive action. The author presents a balanced, scholarly, and comprehensive picture of the industry as a whole bringing many hitherto unexplored facets to light that will interest tea professionals and tea enthusiasts alike.
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