Guwahati: In a rare and candid admission of the deepening challenges facing the Indian tea industry, Chairman of the Indian Tea Association (ITA) and the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA), Hemant Bangur, said the sector has failed to live up to the expectations and aspirations of its workers.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the India International Tea Convention (IITC 2025) held in Kochi from September 18–20, Bangur opened his address with a striking confession. “I stand here with my head in shame as the leader of CCPA and of the tea industry. I know I have a written speech, but I don’t want to talk about it because I want to talk about what is real,” he said.
ITA serves as the Secretariat of the CCPA — the apex body of tea producer associations in India. Addressing delegates from across the tea-producing world, Bangur admitted that living standards in the industry have stagnated because businesses have become financially unsustainable.
“I stand in shame also for the executives who work on our plantations and in our companies because we have not been able to attract the right talent,” he said.
Bangur noted that the organised tea sector — which employs more than 90% of the industry’s workforce — has failed to meet workers’ expectations, with wages and living standards remaining static for years. He warned of an impending talent crisis, as young people are increasingly unwilling to join an industry that “gives a bleak future.”
His frank remarks come amid growing alarm over falling auction prices, mounting costs, and widespread financial distress across tea estates. Over 80% of organised tea producers reportedly suffered cash losses last year, reflecting the depth of the sector’s crisis.
Going beyond the economic issues, Bangur also raised concerns about quality and compliance lapses.
He admitted that after successive crop losses and years of unsustainably low prices, some estates had reverted to using unapproved agrochemicals to protect crops. He also acknowledged that defaults on full wage payments and provident fund contributions had become widespread, leaving producers “immune” to regulatory scrutiny.
“I stand in shame also because we, as producers, have not been able to give safe and good tea to our consumers. We did promise to the Honourable Minister last year that we would make amends for whatever wrong is happening at the plantations and elsewhere,” Bangur said.
He revealed that tests conducted by both the Tea Board of India and the CCPA found produce that failed to meet FSSAI compliance standards — a finding that echoes long-standing concerns about the viability and safety of Indian tea.
Describing the situation as “the elephant in the house,” Bangur challenged the industry to stop ignoring its structural weaknesses and act decisively. “Are we willing to confront it, or are we going to be like ostriches?” he asked, urging producers to embrace social, economic, and product sustainability. He called for tea to be restored as a safe, desirable beverage rather than “just a colouring agent” in a sugar-and-spice rush.
“I request all of you to think, reflect, and figure out whether, at the next tea convention — whenever and wherever we have it — we will be able to answer these questions,” Bangur concluded.
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