The Consulate General of India in New York, in collaboration with the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), the Tea Board of India, and the Assam Industrial Development Corporation Ltd., (AIDC) commemorated 200 glorious years of Assam Tea at the Summer Fancy Food Show 2025.
Held from June 29 to July 1 at the Javits Center in New York, the event featured over 2,200 exhibitors from 59 countries and attracted more than 30,000 industry professionals, including buyers, brokers, distributors, and media representatives. Chief Secretary of Assam and The Consul General Inaugurated the India Pavilion at the Summer Fancy Food Show and the Tea Lounge for celebrating 200 years of Assam Tea.
Leading tea companies from Assam—including Luxmi Tea, Hindustan Unilever Ltd., MK Shah Exports Ltd., Tata Tea, Goodricke Group Ltd.—participated alongside emerging tea startups and small tea growers who are quietly transforming the region’s tea landscape. Their presence reaffirmed Assam’s reputation as a trusted global supplier of premium teas. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Ravi Kota, Chief Secretary of Assam, Consul General Ambassador Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, and Consul (Trade) Mr. Manish Kulhary with the unveiling of the specially curated Assam Tea Lounge.
The event not only spotlighted the finest teas from India but also promoted tea tourism, wellness, and innovation across the tea value chain. Tea tasting sessions were held, offering attendees a curated experience by tea experts and sommeliers.
Mr. Peter F. Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the U.S.A., Inc., and Ms. Ellainy Karaboitis-Christopoulos, business development manager of World Tea Conference & Expo, had one-on-one meetings with the Chief Secretary of Assam and the Secretary General of the Indian Tea Association. Ms. Karaboitis-Christopoulos discussed how excited she was to work on Assam Tea's presence at World Tea Expo 2026 in Las Vegas and to explore how Indian students can benefit from World Tea Academy.
A Buyer-Seller Meet and an Investment Roundtable were also organized at the Consulate, aiming to facilitate collaborations with U.S. distributors, importers, institutional and angel investors to forge global partnerships centered on sustainability and traceability.
The event began with a welcome address by Amb. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Consul General, followed by an overview of Assam and its tea industry by Dr. Kavi Kota, Chief Secretary of Assam. Mr. Arijit Raha, Secretary General of the Indian Tea Association, introduced the producers. A B2B interactive tea tasting session was coordinated by Mr. Gaurav Ghosh of J Thomas & Co., followed by a Q&A session. The event concluded with a Vote of Thanks by the Consul (Trade).
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