Vice-President of India C.P. Radhakrishanan releasing the centenary publication of Tea Research in South India at UPASI TRF centenary conference in Coonoor on Monday. Governor of Tamil Nadu Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Tea board deputy chairman Murugan and UPASI president Ajoy Thipaih are in the picture.
| Photo Credit: SATHYAMOORTHY M.
Vice-President of India C.P. Radhakrishnan appealed to the United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) to expand their research into improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of tea.
Mr. Radhakrishnan was the chief guest at the three-day UPASI Tea Research Foundation (TRF) centenary conference that started in Coonoor on Monday. At the event, he said that with global competition on the increase, it was imperative that tea research institutes, with the help of State and Central governments, improve the quality of their teas to keep pace with the global market.
“Nowadays, even a small country like Sri Lanka is giving us very tough competition in the international market,” he said, adding that solutions must be found to improve the revenue of tea and tea plantations.
“I believe that it is not a very difficult task for us because of the experience we are having in all these 100 years. We have to find the professionals to take up the research,” he said, adding that the Central and State governments are open to helping tea producers in this endeavour, calling for modernisation of tea processing equipment and educating planters to help in increasing tea prices.
C. Murugan, Deputy Chairman of the Tea Board of India, said that the prosperity of the tea industry must also trickle down to tea estate workers. “The prosperity of the tea industry must go hand in hand with the prosperity of people who work in it. The tea garden worker, the small tea grower, the manufacturer, the exporters are all essential partners in this journey. A strong tea industry must be economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable,” he said.
Ajoy Thipaiah, UPASI chairman, said that over the last 100 years, UPASI TRF had evolved into a premium institution for tea research in the states of Tamil Nadu, Keralam and Karnataka.
“Its work has contributed to the improved cultivation practices, crop protection, soil and plant health, productivity, quality, sustainability and above all the resilience of the tea sector. Hundreds of its scientists have worked closely with the plantations and growers translating research into practical solutions in the field,” he said. Governor of Tamil Nadu and Keralam, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Ooty MLA, M. Bhojarajan were present.
Published – September 21, 2026 07:44 pm IST
