Soon, Chinese technology can drive India's tea estates

Industry officials opine that it is primarily on account of Indian plantations being labour-intensive while China has an advanced level of mechanisation

The Indian Tea Association (ITA) has signed an agreement with China Tea Marketing Association (CTMA) to nearly double Indian tea exports to China to 15 million kg (mkg) next year as well as learn cost effective production techniques from its largest Asian neighbour.

Besides joint promotions of its tea across key European markets and sustainability goals, the agreement allows Indian tea producers to understand mechanisation of gardens while maintaining quality.

China produces 2609 mkg of tea annually across its 0.28 million hectare cultivable area. Most of these gardens are highly mechanised. On the other hand, in India, 0.57 million hectares are under