Tea Board of India
Statutory Basis and Functions Under the Tea Act, 1953
The Tea Board of India is a statutory body established under the Tea Act, 1953 — a Central legislation providing for Union government control over the tea industry, including cultivation, manufacture, and export.
- Legislative basis: The Tea Act, 1953 (No. 29 of 1953), which received presidential assent on May 28, 1953. The Act came into effect on April 1, 1954 — replacing the Indian Tea Control Act, 1938 and the Central Tea Board Act, 1949.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Department of Commerce).
- Headquarters: Kolkata (West Bengal).
- Composition: The Tea Board comprises representatives from the Central Government, state governments of major tea-growing states (Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala), tea planter associations, tea traders, workers, and consumer representatives.
- Key functions under the Tea Act: regulation of tea production and marketing; export promotion; quality control and certification; financial assistance to growers, manufacturers, and exporters; research and development (through Tea Research Association); and welfare schemes for plantation workers.
- Export regulation: No tea shall be exported from India without a licence issued by the Central Government (Section 17, Tea Act, 1953). Import regulation falls under the same statutory framework.
- Penalties: Section 42 of the Tea Act prescribes fines up to ₹5,000 or imprisonment up to 6 months for contraventions.
● Tracked since February 10, 2026 · last seen May 21, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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