Kolkata, February 15 India's tea industry is facing increasing financial pressure due to rising input costs, stagnant prices, labor shortages, and climate-related risks, prompting planters to seek policy support and structural reforms to sustain operations, industry representatives said."Many estates were being forced to sell tea below cost, leading to higher borrowing and financial strain. Unless we produce high-quality tea and fetch remunerative prices, sustainability is impossible," said Uttam Chakraborty, Chairman of the North Bengal branch of the Tea Association of India.He noted that wages account for nearly 60 per cent of production cost, making the sector highly sensitive to wage revisions and input inflation. The costs of...
