Tea trade raises 22.6 million rupees for Assam flood relief

India’s tea industry has raised about 22.6 million Indian rupees for flood relief in Assam through a charity auction and an additional donation. The funds are intended for the Assam Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to support families affected by flooding.

Held on 5 October at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre, the auction raised 16.1 million rupees. Hemant Bangur, a former chairman of the Tea Association of India, contributed a further 6.5 million rupees.

Support came from across the trade, not just those placing bids. Producers donated teas, brokers waived their commissions and participating warehouses waived storage charges. Buyers travelled from Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad and Delhi to take part, with Society Tea and Wagh Bakri making the largest purchases by value.

Organised by the Tea Association of India with the auction centre, the sale featured teas including matcha and Darjeeling. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma auctioned 12 ceremonial lots that together fetched nearly 10 million rupees. He recalled a similar special auction in 2012, as the industry returned to a fundraising approach rooted in its own products, skills and connections.