Tea Tourism a Supplement, Not a Substitute, Says Piyush Goyal at Conclave 2025

At Conclave 2025, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal painted a positive picture of the future of Assam's tea industry. Addressing during the session "Trade, Commerce and Beyond", moderated by Rishi Baruah, Director of Pratidin Media Network, the minister categorically stated that tea tourism could complement—not replace—Assam's tea production. Comparing it with vineyards elsewhere, Goyal said tea tasting, ceremonial experiences, and global tourist destinations could bring new economic life into the gardens without watering down Assam's reputation as a global tea leader.

"Tourism is an adjunct, not an alternative," he explained, saying that tourism earnings would enable gardens to invest more in quality enhancement, productivity, and better wages for workers. The minister conceded that Assam is still among the world's largest exporters but is confronted with a daunting task: matching teas from Sri Lanka, Kenya, and other countries on quality that are generally regarded as superior on international markets.

But hope in New Delhi is at odds with the dire situation on the ground. Two lakh small tea growers in Upper Assam are in the doldrums as prices of green leaves collapse. Production in the state dropped by almost 9% this year alone, with leaf prices hitting a low of ₹14–18 per kilo. These are not mere statistics—these are expressions of despair in families whose survival is entirely dependent on the fate of the tea bush.

Minister Goyal rebuffed accounts of a "steep price crash" as misinformation, citing instead auction reforms that he claimed have steadied rates for small farmers. He also sought to play down fears over tea imports, saying that Nepal provides less than 1% of India's needs and that even Kenya's 117% increase in exports to India is infinitesimal in terms of volume. India, he insisted, has already slapped maximum import duties to protect local growers.

But in the tea belt of Assam, such assurances ring hollow. Farmers lament "heavy compliances" suffocating operations, even as lower-quality Kenyan, Nepali, and Bangladeshi teas continue to find their way into the Indian market, lowering prices and perception. For them, it is not propaganda but a lived nightmare. Several worry that if the trend holds, the storied brand equity of Assam Tea—once a byword for strength and flavor around the world—will be lost to history.

Compounding the trouble is weather. The prolonged dry spell has already decimated yields, with gardens sporting withered leaves and rising losses. With more than 1.34 lakh small producers chipping in close to 40% of Assam's overall production and 22% of India's tea intake, their survival is not a minor concern—it is actually the lifeblood of India's tea business.

The minister at the Conclave 2025 has cited welfare programs such as the 'Chai Bagan Shramik Yojana' as part of its support. But for the tea plucker of Upper Assam or the small farmer trying to cover input costs, these promises seem distant from their everyday worries.

The bigger question is: can Assam reconcile the dual visions of tea as a cultural-tourism event and tea as an agricultural pillar? Tourism may attract dollars, but if the base—the leaves, the gardens, and the growers—is weak, even the most delightful tea-tasting ritual will ring hollow.

Only when the spotlight shifts back to the field can Assam Tea reclaim its rightful place in the world. The battle is not against substitute imports or disinformation alone; it is against abandonment of the growers who sustain the industry. Unless there are immediate measures—equitable prices, lower compliance costs, and strong protection from low-cost imports—Assam stands to lose not only markets but also its reputation as the country where tea is not just cultivated, but lived.

Also Read: Piyush Goyal at The Conclave 2025: "India Marching Towards $35 Trillion Economy By 2047"