Assam Becomes First Indian State to Commercially Produce Matcha Tea

Key Facts

• Date of commercial production commencement: 3 July 2026
• Location: Chota Tingrai Tea Estate, Tinsukia district, Assam
• Product: Matcha tea (powdered green tea made from shade-grown tea leaves originating in Japan)
• First auction: Guwahati Tea Auction Centre
• Buyer of first batch: Sheosons Chai Co., Guwahati
• Broker involved in auction: J Thomas & Co. Pvt Ltd
• Production technology: Fully automated Japanese manufacturing facility developed through a decade-long collaboration involving Japanese manufacturers, agronomists, equipment suppliers, and tea masters

Background & Context

Assam is one of India's largest tea-producing states, primarily known for its black tea varieties including orthodox and CTC teas. Tea estates are located across districts such as Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Sivasagar. Matcha is a distinctive powdered green tea from Japan made with shade-grown tea leaves which are steamed, dried, and finely ground. The Chota Tingrai Tea Estate in Tinsukia district pioneered the commercial production of Matcha in India by setting up a state-of-the-art fully automated Japanese tea manufacturing facility, a project realized through extensive decade-long Indo-Japanese partnerships.

Why This Matters for Exams / Exam Relevance

This milestone event illustrates the diversification and innovation within Assam's tea industry, expanding beyond the traditional black tea segment. Key factual details around dates, locations, and institutions involved (such as the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre and J Thomas & Co.) serve as valuable information for competitive exams relating to the Indian economy, agriculture, and regional development. Understanding Assam's role in evolving the Indian tea sector, especially through integrating foreign technology and new product lines, is relevant for general studies and economic geography portions of exams.

Points to Remember

• Assam became the first Indian state to commercially produce Matcha tea on 3 July 2026.
• The production began at the Chota Tingrai Tea Estate located in Tinsukia district.
• Matcha is a powdered green tea originally from Japan, made from steamed, shade-grown leaves.
• The first lot of Assam Matcha was sold through the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre, a major trading platform in Northeast India.
• J Thomas & Co. Pvt Ltd handled brokering the first auction batch of Assam-produced Matcha.
• The project represents a decade-long Indo-Japanese collaboration involving manufacturers, agronomists, equipment suppliers, and tea masters developing a fully automated Matcha manufacturing process.
• This development diversifies Assam's tea portfolio beyond its traditional focus on black tea production.