North Eastern Tea Association honours Wagh Bakri Tea chairman Piyush Desai with lifetime achievement award

Wagh Bakri Tea Group Chairman Piyush Desai has been conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Indian tea industry, officials said on January 10.
The Wagh Bakri Tea Group, which has been in the tea business since 1892, is one of India’s most prominent tea companies. Announcing the honour, NETA Advisor Bidyanand Barkakoty described Desai as a towering figure in the sector, highlighting the deep-rooted connection between Assam and Gujarat in India’s tea ecosystem.
“Desai is a patriarch of the Indian tea industry. There is a special bond between Assam and Gujarat as Assam is the largest producer of tea, while Gujarat is the largest consumer,” Barkakoty told PTI.
NETA’s immediate past chairman Ajay Dhandhania said Desai is widely respected as a tea tasting and evaluation expert and a visionary who has played a key role in shaping the industry over decades.
A former chairman of the Federation of All India Tea Traders Association (FAITTA), the apex body representing tea packers and traders in the country, Desai brings with him over six decades of rich experience in the tea trade.
NETA officials noted that the Lifetime Achievement Award has earlier been conferred on eminent industry veterans Apurba Kumar Barooah and Sagar Mehta, both octogenarians who have made significant contributions to the tea industry and society at large.
The award recognises Desai’s enduring legacy and leadership in strengthening India’s tea sector, particularly in bridging production regions and consumer markets across the country.