Agartala, August 21: Tripura is set to hold its first live tea auction in Agartala in September, with the proposed centre expected to provide local tea producers greater access to buyers across the country.
Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd (TTDCL) Chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh said preparations for the auction centre at Gurkhabasti were nearing completion, with buyers and producers from Assam and West Bengal showing interest.
Ghosh said a buyer-seller meeting in Kolkata on July 31 was attended by around 53 tea buyers, while a similar meeting was held in Guwahati on August 6 to brief buyers and producers about the proposed centre and auction process.
Officials from the Guwahati tea auction centre demonstrated the auction procedure to Tripura officials and industry stakeholders. They are also scheduled to visit the state to assist with the initial auction activities.
The Agartala centre will operate from a government facility previously associated with the Industries Department and will follow the pan-India auction system of the Tea Board of India, allowing buyers from across the country to participate.
Ghosh said the auction centre was part of efforts to revive and expand Tripura’s tea industry, which he described as one of the state’s oldest industries. He said investor interest had also increased, with agreements signed for proposed investments worth around Rs 831 crore.
Ghosh attributed progress on the auction centre to state government support and said the proposal submitted to NITI Aayog had received approval.
With buyers from Assam and West Bengal already expressing interest, TTDCL expects the Agartala auction centre to improve market access for local producers and strengthen Tripura’s presence in the national tea market.
