Tripura To Get Its First Tea Auction Centre Next Year

The e-Auction Centre will help reduce logistical hurdles and create new opportunities for local tea producers, Das emphasized.

Tripura, India’s fifth-largest tea producing state, is set to establish its own Tea Auction Centre next year, a significant development for the state’s tea industry. The centre will be the second of its kind in the Northeast after Assam and is expected to commence operations in the coming months, according to a top official of the Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd. (TTDC Ltd).

Manik Lal Das, Managing Director of TTDC Ltd., announced on Friday that as per the decision of the Board of Directors, TTDC Ltd has already floated a tender to engage a system integrator and management group for the proposed centre.

“We expect to finalize this process within the next month,” he stated, adding that the centre will provide a major boost to Tripura’s tea trade.

The initiative comes at a time when Tripura’s tea quality has improved significantly, leading to better auction prices. However, transportation challenges persist, particularly through Bangladesh, due to recent unrest in the neighboring country.

The e-Auction Centre will help reduce logistical hurdles and create new opportunities for local tea producers, Das emphasized.

Industries and Commerce Minister Santana Chakma, who attended the stakeholder consultation meeting as the chief guest, reiterated the state government’s resolve to uplift the tea sector.

The e-Auction Centre will ensure better prices for Tripura’s tea and help producers avoid high transportation costs associated with sending their produce to auction centres in Guwahati or Kolkata, she said.

The consultation meeting, held in Agartala, brought together key officials, including TTDC Ltd. Chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh, Industries and Commerce Department Director Vishwasree B, and TTDC Ltd. Managing Director Manik Lal Das. Stakeholders such as auctioneers, bidders, and sellers participated actively, sharing insights and suggestions to enhance the state’s tea industry.

Tripura is India’s fifth-largest tea-producing state, with an annual output of approximately 9 million kilograms. Around 50% of this tea is consumed locally, while the rest is auctioned in Guwahati and Kolkata.

The new e-Auction Centre in Agartala is expected to retain economic benefits within the state, streamline the selling process, and empower local tea growers.

With a rich tea cultivation history spanning over a century, Tripura currently hosts 54 tea estates and hundreds of small tea growers.

The establishment of the e-Auction Centre is poised to drive growth, improve producer revenues, and reduce dependency on distant auction platforms.

As Tripura moves closer to launching this landmark project, stakeholders are optimistic that it will transform the state’s tea trade, solidify its standing in India’s tea economy, and support sustainable growth for its tea industry.

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