From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: There was a call to the tea industry in Assam to focus on research to improve quality besides increasing the productivity to face the stiff competition in the global tea market.
Montek Singh Ahluwalia said tea industry had to give thrust in research for improvement in quality while the marketing strategy had to be refurbished to make the drink more popular both within and outside the country.
He called for better branding of tea and said there were much better scope for marketing of the black tea produced by the tea industry in the country as a ‘health drink’ compared to green tea. He pointed out that effective marketing strategy was the key behind rising popularity of coffee in the country and said that the tea industry should take note of it.
Addressing the planters gathered on the occasion, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the tea industry must hear up to face the challenge in the global market. He said Government of India should provide a special package for improvement of tea sector in Assam for being an agro and rural based industry that has employed such a large number of people.