From the archive record
Workers plucking fresh tea leaves at a tea garden in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India. Commercial production of tea in India began after the conquest of large areas by the British East India Company, at which point large tracts of land were converted for mass tea production.The widespread popularity of tea as a recreational drink began in earnest in the 1950s, after a successful advertising campaign by the India Tea Board. Today, India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, although over 70 per cent of its tea is consumed within India itself. A number of renowned teas, such as Assam and Darjeeling, also grow exclusively in India. The Indian tea industry has grown to own many global tea brands and has evolved into one of the most technologically equipped tea industries in the wo