Must preserve Darjeeling tea: Shringla in Rajya Sabha

Nominated Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday lamented the declining fortunes of Darjeeling tea and said the tea industry was facing a crisis mainly due to rising imports and exports of low-quality teas from foreign nations.“Low-quality foreign teas are being sold in domestic and foreign markets under the name of Darjeeling tea, causing immense harm to the reputation of genuine Indian tea,” said Shringla during zero hour.

The former foreign secretary said the geographical indication (GI) tagged Darjeeling tea was a part of the Indian culture.

“Over 10 lakh workers and farmers and over 60 lakh families depend on the tea sector. Import of teas from African countries and Nepal have risen by nearly 45 per cent in the first half of 2025 alone, raising concerns about diluting the value of Indian teas, particularly from Darjeeling,” he said.

Shringla added that the production of Darjeeling tea had dropped from 14.1 million kg in the 1970s to 5.1 million kg in 2024. “This is due to the ecological distress, with forest cover thinning rapidly and soil drying out, forcing growers to rely on artificial irrigation,” said Shringla.

He said PM Narendra Modi had called Darjeeling tea the ‘pride of India’, and it was served to heads of state during the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023. “It is in our national interest to preserve this heritage,” he added.