Assam’s Chota Tingrai Tea Estate has become the first commercial producer of Matcha tea in India, with its inaugural batch sold at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).

Assam has added a new chapter to its tea industry by entering the premium Matcha market. A 5 kg lot produced at Chota Tingrai Tea Estate (Tinsukia) was auctioned at GTAC for ₹3,000 per kg, marking India’s first commercial sale of domestically produced Matcha.

Key Highlights

• Chota Tingrai Tea Estate is the first tea estate in India to commercially produce Matcha tea.
• The estate established a green tea processing unit in 2016 with technical support from Japanese experts.
• The Matcha has been produced using indigenous Assam tea cultivars TV9 and Tinali-17.
• The estate plans to produce 200–300 kg of Matcha per month, with exports targeted mainly to the United States.

About Matcha Tea

• Matcha is a finely powdered form of shade-grown green tea.
• Unlike ordinary green tea, the entire powdered leaf is consumed after whisking it into water.
• It contains higher levels of antioxidants, amino acids, and natural caffeine.
• It is widely used in lattes, ice creams, cakes, chocolates and confectionery.

Significance

• It diversifies Assam’s traditional black tea industry into the high-value specialty tea segment.
• It supports value addition, export diversification, and higher income for tea growers.
• It strengthens the global brand value of Assam Tea and reflects growing India–Japan cooperation in tea processing.

Challenges

• Matcha production requires specialised processing technology and strict quality standards.
• Production capacity is lower than conventional black tea, making expansion capital-intensive.

Exam Hook – Prelims

Q. With reference to Matcha tea, consider the following statements:

1. It is a finely powdered form of specially grown green tea.
2. Unlike ordinary green tea, the entire powdered leaf is consumed.
3. Japan is the traditional producer of Matcha tea.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

One-Line Wrap

Assam’s successful commercial production of Matcha tea marks India’s entry into the premium global specialty tea market, opening new opportunities for value addition, exports and diversification of the tea industry.