Tripura eyes first live tea auction in Agartala in September

Tripura is preparing to hold its first live tea auction in Agartala in September, a move expected to give the state's tea industry greater access to buyers across the country.

Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd (TTDCL) Chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh said preparations for the proposed auction centre are nearing completion, with tea buyers and producers from Assam and West Bengal showing interest in the facility.

Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said a buyer-seller meeting held in Kolkata on July 31 drew around 53 buyers associated with the city's tea auction. A similar meeting was held in Guwahati on August 6, where tea producers and buyers were briefed about the proposed Agartala centre and the auction process.

Officials from the Guwahati tea auction centre also demonstrated the auction procedure to Tripura officials and industry stakeholders as part of preparations for the new facility.

"We are hopeful that next month, in September, we will be able to successfully conduct a live auction at the proposed auction centre in Agartala," Ghosh said.

Officials from the Guwahati auction centre are also scheduled to visit Tripura to assist with the initial auction-related activities.

The centre will operate from a government facility at Gurkhabasti in Agartala, which was previously associated with the Industries Department. TTDCL said the necessary arrangements at the premises have been completed.

The Agartala centre will follow the pan-India auction system of the Tea Board of India, similar to those operating in Guwahati and Kolkata. This will allow buyers from different parts of the country to participate in auctions conducted in Tripura.

The move comes as the state seeks to revive and expand its tea industry, which Ghosh described as one of Tripura's oldest industries but one that remained underdeveloped for years.

According to Ghosh, investor interest in the sector has also increased, with agreements signed for proposed investments worth around Rs 831 crore. He said the development was an indication of growing confidence in Tripura's business environment.

"Whenever an industry comes to a state, one of the first priorities investors look at is law and order. The law-and-order situation in our state is very good, and Tripura is also considered an industry-friendly state," he said.

Ghosh attributed the progress on the auction centre to support from the state government and said the proposal submitted to NITI Aayog had received approval.

With buyers from Assam and West Bengal already expressing interest, TTDCL expects the Agartala centre to improve market access for local tea producers and strengthen Tripura's presence in the national tea market.