India's global tea trade: reducing shares, declining competitiveness

This study is at macro level, India focused, and in a comparative perspective with Kenya and Sri Lanka. No more a leader in global tea markets, India's importance in the world tea trade is now mainly because of a huge production and a large domestic market. Sri Lanka is resurging perusing competitive market strategies through value added products and quality control. India and Kenya continue to be largely in commodity forms in their tea exports. India is falling behind in almost every market. In contrast Kenya, relatively a new producer, has been increasing its share. The case studies from Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and Japan Tea market and a comparative discussion of auctions and infrastructure included in the book are instructive in understanding of the competition and competitiveness in global tea trade. Analyzing markets and understanding and evaluating competitive positions can help the Indian tea industry to develop competitive product market strategies. The all important question is, can India retrieve its lost competitive position in the global tea trade? If yes, what strategies need to be followed by various stakeholders? A host of issues arise in this context and the study that follows deals with them. The book would be of interest to all involved in global tea trade and policy makers.