Guwahati, June 3 -- The ongoing conflict in West Asia is beginning to affect India's orthodox tea exporters, facing declining demand, rising insurance costs and uncertainty over payments, according to Dinesh Bihani, Secretary of the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).

Speaking to ANI on the impact of the geopolitical crisis on the tea industry, Bihani said the effects have become noticeable over the past one-and-a-half months, particularly in the orthodox tea segment that relies heavily on exports to West Asian markets.

"We've started experiencing the effects of the West Asia crisis within Orthodox Quality tea over the past 1.5 months. Its demand is gradually declining, and the main reason is that our tea, which used to be sent to West ...