New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- The Indian tea industry is facing a challenging year in 2025, dealing with a mix of production issues, price drops, and rising imports that are hurting domestic producers.

According to the Indian Tea Association (ITA), tea production has improved compared to 2024's poor output but remains lower than 2023 levels.

"All-India tea production fell by nearly 8 per cent in 2024 due to erratic weather and pest attacks. While 2025 has seen a 25.76 per cent recovery between January and May, it's only relative to last year's weak performance," said Arijit Raha, Secretary General of ITA.

West Bengal and Assam, the country's leading tea producers, saw year-on-year gains of 44 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. But when comp...