Golaghat: Veteran tea industry leader Bidyananda Barkakoty, a fifth-generation tea planter from Assam, has been conferred the prestigious ASSOCHAM Legacy & Heritage Excellence Award 2026 at the inaugural Growth Driven Family Business Conclave & Excellence Awards held at Hotel Vivanta in Kolkata on Tuesday. The award was presented by Swapan Dasgupta, the Chief Guest at the event, in recognition of Barkakoty’s remarkable contribution to preserving and strengthening a family legacy that has continued uninterrupted for five generations in Assam’s tea industry.
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The Barkakoty family is regarded as one of the oldest tea-planting lineages in Assam. Its association with tea cultivation dates back to the British era when Late Sarbananda Borkakoty, the great-great-grandfather of Bidyananda Barkakoty, emerged as one of the pioneering Indian tea entrepreneurs. At a time when the sector was largely dominated by British interests, he played a significant role in establishing the foundations of Assam’s globally acclaimed tea industry.
A mechanical engineer by training and a tea planter by profession, Barkakoty has also made notable contributions to the tea sector through his leadership roles. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Tea Board of India and Chairman of the North Eastern Tea Association, and currently serves as an adviser to NETA. Receiving the honour, Barkakoty dedicated the award to his forefathers, tea growers and workers whose dedication has helped make Assam tea renowned across the world.
