Specialty tea blending and retail packing unit

This unit buys tea, blends and flavours it, and packs it into retail packs, gift tins and tea bags under your own brand. Typical lines are strong CTC tea for milk tea, whole-leaf orthodox tea, and flavoured teas using ginger or Assam lemon, which is grown in the district.

Guwahati runs one of the country's largest tea auctions, so tea of every grade is on offer here for most of the year. Yet most of it leaves as bulk lots, and the seller keeps little of the shelf price. Working near the auction lets you taste and choose lots yourself. NABARD's 2023-24 credit plan for Kamrup Metropolitan names agro and food processing, at Rs 264.52 Cr, as its biggest farm-side line.

You need an FSSAI licence, GST, registration with the Tea Board as a tea packer, and a trained taster. Bidding at the auction yourself needs separate buyer registration, so many start by buying from registered buyers or tea traders. The hard part is selling: shelves are crowded with big brands, and a new name needs time and money spent on packaging before repeat orders come.

Start with gift boxes for Guwahati offices, hotel and gift shops that serve tourists, and online marketplaces. Packing tea under the names of cafes and shops brings steady work while your own brand grows.