Tocklai, the world's oldest tea research institute, faces a fund crunch

Beyond its scenic charm, Tocklai's tourism potential is obvious to the average tea enthusiast

Ceramic cups filled with tea of different varieties and in varying shades of brown are laid out alongside pots brimming with leaves and powder at the office of Romen Gogoi, the taster at the world’s oldest and largest tea research centre. He has already given me a lowdown on how coordinated research at various stages — from plucking of the tea leaf to the final packaging — at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Jorhat, Assam, has been guiding the industry to produce quality beverage.

As he sips and spits out spoonfuls on a spittoon and explains how an expert