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The real The Parallel Evolution of Tea and Coffee operations remain independent. This separation un- whether it’s loose leaf tea or whole bean coffee,” says

in India
derscores the distinct nature of coffee and tea cultiva-
Binny. The future of coffee and tea in India looks
challenge To gain more insight into the intersection of tea tion and processing in the country. promising, with consumers increasingly seeking high-
er quality products. The shift towards loose leaf tea
While the potential benefits of collaboration be-
and coffee at the origin, I spoke with two professionals tween coffee and tea producers are not immediately and whole bean coffee reflects a growing appreciation
and opportu- from the Indian coffee industry. Coffee and tea hold clear, there is one notable advantage. Tea can be har- for premium experiences.
vested year-round, providing a steady source of income
Despite the rising interest and disposable income,
profound cultural significance in India, their histories
intertwining with the nation’s colonial past and evolv- and employment, unlike coffee, which has a more collaborative ventures between the coffee and tea in-
nity lie in the ing consumer preferences. Coffee is believed to have seasonal harvest. “This could make it more feasible to dustries face significant challenges due to their distinct
operations and markets. “The coffee and tea industries
maintain full-time workers on the farm,” notes Binny.
been introduced to India in 1560 by Baba Budan, a
revered monk who smuggled green coffee beans from Indian consumer preferences reveal a generation- are separate entities with little overlap,” concludes
courage to Yemen back to India following his pilgrimage to Haj. al divide: those above 35 generally prefer tea, while Binny. Any potential benefits from collaboration remain
uncertain, given the current landscape.
younger consumers lean towards coffee. This shift
This clandestine act laid the foundation for coffee
cultivation in the country. reflects broader global trends and the increasing avail- Tea’s ability to be harvested year-round presents
explore be- intriguing. While the British are credited with intro- ability of diverse coffee options. a unique opportunity for steady income and employment
Tea’s origins in India are less defined but equally
Both the tea and coffee markets in India are ex-
in the agricultural sector. By leveraging this advantage,
ducing tea cultivation in Darjeeling during the Opium periencing growth, driven by a rising interest in these the coffee and tea industries in India could complement
yond con- War, historical evidence suggests that tribes in Assam beverages. Tea has seen trends such as the popularity each other, ensuring year-round productivity and finan-
of green tea bags, pretty tea bags with flowers, and a
cial stability for farmers and workers. Collaborative
and Arunachal Pradesh were already consuming tea.
Some tea trees in Manipur are estimated to be 200-300 recent shift towards loose leaf Assam and Darjeeling ventures could explore integrated farming practices,
ventional years old. The British colonial era marked the begin- tea. Boba tea has also gained traction. “Cold brew tea shared resources, and mutual support systems, poten-
tially leading to innovative products that blend the best
could be the next big thing in India,” suggests Susmit
ning of mass production of both coffee and tea, but it
limits. wasn’t until after India’s independence that mass con- Pratik, Managing Director at Ketlee. of both worlds. Looking ahead, such synergies could
The coffee market is similarly dynamic, with a
drive further growth and sustainability in both indus-
sumption truly took off. Tea’s widespread popularity
growing preference for whole bean coffee and the
tries, fostering a resilient agricultural economy and
began around 1850, whereas coffee’s surge in popular-
ity did not occur until 1992, following the decentral- sustained popularity of cold brew coffee. “Consum- enhancing the quality and diversity of offerings for
ization of coffee production. ers are moving towards higher quality products, discerning consumers.
Traditional practices in India have significantly
influenced both the cultivation and consumption of
coffee and tea. The Singpo tribe of Margherita, Assam,
for instance, creates a unique bamboo-smoked tea by
stuffing unwithered tea leaves inside bamboo and
smoking them for 4-8 years. Although the result tastes
more of smoked bamboo than tea, this method high-
lights the ingenuity born of necessity. Similarly, tribes
in Manipur produce smoked black tea by drying tea
leaves over their fireplaces, a technique developed to
combat the humid climate that often causes fungal
growth on sun-dried leaves.
Coffee’s history in India is marked by scarcity
and ingenuity. Plantation workers, who could not
afford quality coffee, often collected coffee waste,
including the skin and defective beans. They roast-
ed these remnants with ghee and spices, creating a
beverage that approximated the taste of real coffee.
“The creativity in these traditional methods is re-
markable,” says Binny Varghese, founder of Barista
Training Academy in India.
Currently, there are no significant collaborations
between the coffee and tea industries in India. Some
estates, like Bermiok Estate, grow both crops, but their

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