India, May 28 -- You sip your hot morning tea, enjoying the warmth in your hands, thinking about the long day ahead. The blend is great, the aroma perfect, and the temperature is just right. Have you ever thought about the place your tea came from? There may be a fascinating story of survival involved.

Search for 'tea plantations' on the internet, and one will find picturesque rolling hills carpeted with mosaics of near-irridiscent green shrubs. If you ever find yourself standing in the midst of one in southern India, the open sea of green with mist hanging thick in the air comes alive with the chirping of birds and the rhythmic clatter of plantation workers. Every which way you turn, it's the same visual. Tea, tea and more tea. Quaint a...