Industry stalwarts discuss 'unique ideas' to popularise Indian tea

SNS,  SILIGURI, 13 AUGUST 21 : Indian tea industry stalwarts have put forth unique ideas and suggestions to popularise Indian tea among various sections of society with the help of modern techniques.

Top industry representatives also took sonic decisions as they took part in a daylong online discussion programme organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to promote 'Awareness of Indian Tea Towards Increasing Domestic Consumption.' The webinar today was organised in association with the Tea Board of India and Goodricke Group Ltd.

The director of plantations, Union ministry of commerce and industry, Parul Singh, accepted that Indian tea has an issue of lower per capita consumption, but that

efforts to popularise the domestic beverage was gaining momentum. The government has now laid special focus on popularizing Indian tea, Ms Singh told the webinar, while also urging that Indian tea will gain popularity through better packaging, innovative ideas of reaching out to customers, organising tea festivals, capturing the rural market, setting up tea boutiques and other advertisement formats.

According to the director, Tea Development, Tea Board of India, S Soundararajan, the national average of Indian tea consumption was on the lower side. "Tea Board and other stakeholders have to come forward together to enhance the consumption at the domestic level. Widespread and prolonged promotional activities may be designed to bridge the gap. Targeting youths, homemakers

with value addition to he looked into," Mr Soundararajan said.

The vice-chairman of the Indian Tea Association, Navantara Paul Choudhury, highlighted the changing consumer tastes and preferences, current global tea trend and the need of generic tea promotion through aggressive advertisements, social media use, digital marketing, and providing better consumer experiences.

The webinar was told that the newly-formed ICC National Expert Committee on Tea will aggressively promote Indian tea in the near future to increase domestic consumption and encourage overseas marketing.

It is learnt that the committee would lay special stress on looking on tea as a health drink, better refreshing beverage than soft drinks or any other aerated drinks, promo-

don of tea at regional scale-throughout Indian states, increase share of throat, continuous digital promotion of tea amongst GEN-Zyouth. The committee would also work on improving logistics & amp; distribution pattern with help of stakeholders and the Tea Board of India.

Among others in attendance in the virtual forum today were Atul Asthana, MD, Goodricke Gmup Ltd & Chairman, ICC, NationalTea Expert Committee; Ravi Suchanti, Co-Chairman, ICC National Tea Expert Committee; Viren Shah, MD Jivraj Tea; Shiva Krishnamurthy HIead, Food & Refreshment Business, Hindustan Unilever; Khushbboo Sharma, Winner of Digital Ent repreneurAward & I lead, Zero Gravity Communication, while the ICC was represented by Bodhisattwa Mukherjee, the Additional Director.