Tripura looks to Guwahati tea auction model ahead of Agartala centre launch

A Tripura delegation has visited the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) to study its electronic auction system and operational practices ahead of the proposed launch of the Agartala Tea Auction Centre.

The Agartala facility is expected to become operational by the end of September this year and is aimed at providing tea producers in Tripura with a dedicated and transparent platform for selling their produce.

The delegation comprised Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) Chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh and Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Das, IAS. Tea Board India Executive Director Arunita Phukan also accompanied the delegation during the visit, which was attended by senior officials from GTAC and the Assam Tea Association (ATA).

GTAC Secretary Priyanuz Dutta gave the delegation a detailed overview of the auction centre's operations. The presentation covered the process from the arrival and cataloguing of tea to quality assessment, electronic bidding, buyer participation, logistics and settlement.

The officials also discussed the role of technology in ensuring transparency and improving efficiency in tea auctions.

The Tripura delegation said the visit provided useful insights into how electronic auction systems can strengthen the tea supply chain, improve price realisation for growers and give producers access to wider markets.

Officials said the proposed Agartala Tea Auction Centre would incorporate several practices followed by GTAC. The facility is expected to provide tea growers and manufacturers in Tripura with improved market access while creating a more efficient system for buyers and other stakeholders.

The new auction centre is also expected to support better price discovery and streamline the movement and sale of tea, potentially strengthening Tripura's position in India's tea market.

The TTDC delegation thanked Tea Board India, GTAC and the Assam Tea Association for sharing technical expertise and providing guidance for the development of Tripura's tea auction infrastructure.