Assam's Woolah Tea Becomes First Bagless Tea Brand with Patent Recognition

In a significant achievement for Assam’s start-up ecosystem, Woolah Tea, the state’s first bagless tea brand, has been granted a 20-year patent (No. 567895) for its innovative creation — compressed whole leaf tea dips that do not require conventional tea bags.

The company was founded by Upamanyu Borkotoky and Ansuman Bharali, both from Sibsagar district, with the vision of combining Assam’s tea heritage with sustainable practices. The patented product uses a compressed bundle of one bud and two young tea leaves — locally known as ‘eti koli duti paat’ — tied with a natural string, allowing tea to brew without the need for microplastic-laced bags.

The idea took shape in 2020, when the founders began experimenting with natural alternatives like banana and bamboo fibres.

“We wanted to eliminate microplastics that are often released from traditional tea bags. But the challenge was to ensure the leaves unfurled properly during brewing,” said Upamanyu.

After over a year of research and 167 trials, they developed a format that worked — a completely bagless tea dip, pressed and dried using traditional tea dryers.

What makes Woolah’s story even more compelling is that neither founder had any prior experience in the tea industry. A chance encounter with a farmer selling hand-rolled organic tea during a trip home changed their perspective on green tea and sparked their interest. Eventually, both quit their corporate jobs and started collaborating with organic tea growers across Sibsagar, Kaxhopothar, and Dibrugarh.

Woolah’s unique concept quickly gained recognition. The brand appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4, where it became the only tea company to receive offers from all the sharks. Since then, Woolah has scaled its operations and is now preparing to enter international markets including the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Australia, and New Zealand.

In a further boost to its global presence, Woolah is also representing Assam at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, as part of the 200-year celebration of Assam Tea. The event is one of the largest specialty food showcases in the world, giving the brand a platform to introduce Assam’s tea legacy to a global audience.

Also Read: Assam Tea’s 200-Year Legacy Celebrated at Summer Fancy Food Show in New York