Tea Estates

The Asian group owns some of the finest tea gardens in North India - Matigara Tea Estate, located in the Darjeeling district producing both Black & Green Tea, Ligripookrie Tea Estate, located in Sivasagar District in Assam which produces the best quality Orthodox and CTC teas, Indong Tea Estate producing high quality CTC tea in Dooars region and Doyapore Tea Estate in Cachar, Assam.

The plantations consists of new tea bushes using the latest variety of clones well researched for yielding very good quality tea. The tea bushes are kept at their peak of health with loving care and constant monitoring.

Modern cultivation techniques have been adopted with an emphasis on eco-friendliness. Integrated pest management is strictly followed which allows the use of only very safe pesticides and bio-pesticides.

The superior quality of teas is maintained due to stringent adherence to quality norms and the use of best possible inputs. The state of the art processing factory is equipped with the latest and most modern machines to enhance the unique characteristics of teas. Due to all this, our teas are today finding approval from even the most discerning buyer. Our annual production is more than one million Kgs. of Black and Green tea.

We believe it is a continual challenge to produce teas that reflect the real beauty of absolute perfection. This challenge obliges us at the same time to work with greater craftsmanship, to search with more patience and remain faithful to our company traditions, so that our teas are always the very best.

TEA PRODUCTION PLANT

The tea production plant is located on the tea estate, so that the freshly picked tea leaves can be processed immediately - the first step on the way to the superior quality.

Black tea is produced in five steps :

WITHERING

Our tour begins in the withering room. It is here that the moisture is extracted from the tea leaves over the next few hours. Any mistakes made during this process means that the tea created will only be mediocre at best. An experienced withering master watches over the process. He passes his hands through the leaves at regular intervals. He can smell, feel and see how far the process has advanced. When the tea has lost upto 60% of its moisture, the leaves are ready for the next step.

ROLLING & CUTTING

The rolling machines (in case of Orthodox teas) or cutting machine (in case of CTC teas) breaks down the cells of the leaves. The cell sap is released and reacts with the oxygen in the air. The fermentation process begins. Rolling/ Cutting takes places in several phases. In case of CTC teas, after cutting, the teas are passed through a rotating googy which forms the round granules. Thereafter, the moist mass of leaves are transferred immediately to the fermentation room.

FERMENTATION

The oxidation process continues in the fermentation room. Here, great experience is also required to know when oxidation has reached its peak. The leaves turn a golden rust colour and the tea acquires its characteristic aroma. With great sensitivity and while constantly checking the temperature, the fermentation master recognises when it is time to start the drying process.

DRYING

Standing at the multi-level dryer, we can see the tea travelling over a complex system of conveyor belts. During this process, the moisture evaporates and the oxidised cell sap with all its valuable ingredients such as caffeine, tannin and essential oils dries on the leaf. The black tea is now ready.

SORTING

The various grades of leaves are now sorted by vibrating sifts. This is when the black teas you know so well are created : leaf teas, fannings, dust is produced.