Why India's tea trade wants one auction platform for all

The Tea Trade Association of Cochin has asked the government to build a single pan-India tea auction platform. The current system is fragmented, with separate auctions across states and regions, which limits price discovery and adds friction for buyers and sellers, Anil George Joseph, TTAC president, told a high-powered committee meeting chaired by Commerce Secretary Rakesh Agarwal.

Joseph argued that a unified national marketplace would give real-time market data, analytics, and integration with logistics and payment systems. It would also bring in small and bazaar buyers, who are largely absent from the organised auction system today. More buyers means deeper markets and better price realisation for producers, he said.

TTAC also pushed for tea to be declared India's national drink. Tea is the country's most widely consumed beverage and the second most consumed in the world after water, Joseph noted. He called for a well-funded national promotional campaign to lift domestic consumption and burnish the global image of Indian tea.