Tripura Opens Its First Tea Auction Centre

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated the state’s first tea auction centre on 29 October 2026 at Pandit Nehru Complex in Gurkhabasti, Agartala. The Agartala Tea Auction Centre was established by the Tripura Tea Development Corporation Limited (TTDCL).

Auction centre and tea industry

The facility makes Tripura the second state in the Northeast, after Assam, and the fifth in India to have its own tea auction centre. The state expects it to strengthen marketing, reduce transport costs and shorten the time taken to sell tea. Sales currently take about 44 days; the centre is expected to reduce this period by approximately 40% and help growers secure competitive prices.

About 60% of Tripura’s tea was previously sold through auction centres outside the state, including in Guwahati and Kolkata. Tripura has 54 large tea gardens and around 2,000–2,800 small tea growers, producing approximately 9–10 million kilograms of tea annually.

The centre’s foundation stone was laid in March 2024. State Industries and Commerce Minister Santan Chakma, TTDCL Chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh and Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Das attended the inauguration.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Tea Board of India is a statutory body established under the Tea Act, 1953.
• The Tea Board of India is headquartered in Kolkata.
• Camellia sinensis is the botanical name of the tea plant.