''The traditional tea consumers market is facing competition from new-age tea formulations. Assam tea entrepreneurs must seize the moment and open up to a new area of development,'' said Gautam Prasad Baroowah, business economist and human resource management expert, here today.
Tea is being increasingly used in diverse products, ranging from skin care products to cosmetics to shaving lather to bottled ready-to-drink tea, and Assam stands a good chance of competing in these new emerging markets, he added.
He was participating in a plenary session on 'economy' as part of the first day's programme of the two-day North East India International Meet (NEIIM) 2010.
Underlining the need for research and marketing of the state's tea industry, Mr Baroowah pointed out the emergence of tea as a 'life-style product' and that tea has been even adopted by wine and spirit industry.
''The most demanded traditional value-added tea at present is decaffeinated tea and organic tea. But in Assam perhaps none is trying to produce it,'' he said, urging the Assamese tea growers to venture into new horizons to stay in competition in the present market.
''Production of tea in Assam has more than doubled in half a century. But production alone will not suffice; it has to be backed by research and marketing,'' Mr Baroowah, who had been the Group Corporate vice-president of the Williamson Magor Group, Kolkata, added.
He also advocated a greater role for the government, especially in encouraging small tea growers, to help the tea industry emerge stronger in the state, which is among the highest employment provider sector in Assam.
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