: The timeless aroma and legacy of
Assam Tea will take center stage at the
Summer Fancy Food Show 2025, to be held at the Jacob Javits Center, New York City, from June 29 to July 1, 2025.This year marks the 200th anniversary of Assam Tea, a milestone that honours the origin, global journey, and economic significance of India’s most iconic brew. The
India Pavilion, which will house a specially designed “Tea Lounge”, will be jointly inaugurated by Ravi Kota, Chief Secretary of Assam, and Ambassador Binaya S. Pradhan, Consul General of India in New York, on Sunday, June 29.
At the behest of the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and initiated and supported by the Consulate General of India in New York, this initiative follows the success of Advantage Assam 2.0 held earlier this year. It aims to not only promote Assam’s rich
tea heritage but also to expand trade and export opportunities in the U.S. market. By bringing together established tea companies, small growers, and innovative startups, the event embodies a unified vision of heritage, entrepreneurship, and international collaboration, fostering deeper economic and cultural ties between the two largest democracies in the world.
The “Assam Tea Lounge” will offer visitors an immersive experience through thoughtfully curated live brewing bars, sommelier-led tasting sessions, and artisan tea pairings with cookies, chocolates, and more. Visitors can explore the evolution of Assam Tea through engaging storytelling sessions, video interviews with tea growers, and showcases on sustainability, women-led cooperatives, and certifications like Rainforest Alliance. The space will also be adorned with Assamese design elements — from visuals of tea gardens and local crafts to musical and dance performances that highlight the state’s rich cultural tapestry.
In celebration of the bicentennial, the booth will also feature a “Masala Chai Cart,” a tea passport giveaway programme, and collaboration with partners like “Kolkata Chai Co., Elements Truffles”, and celebrated Indian chefs for dessert and cocktail demos infused with Assam Tea.
Assam’s tea journey began in 1823, when Scottish explorer Robert Bruce discovered the indigenous
Camellia assamica plant with the help of the Singpho tribe. With the first commercial plantation starting in 1837 and India’s first Indian-owned tea estate founded by Maniram Dewan in 1842, Assam rapidly became a pillar of the global tea trade. Today, Assam remains the largest contiguous tea-growing region in the world, producing over 52% of India’s total tea output, including robust CTC, orthodox, organic, and GI-tagged teas.The event will also bring together major industry players, including the India Tea Association,
Tata Consumer Products Ltd.,
Goodricke Group, Luxmi Tea,
HUL, Woolah Tea, and Aromica Tea, among others, with active participation from the Indian diaspora and global food industry stakeholders. Institutions like the Tocklai Tea Research Institute and platforms like the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) continue to support Assam’s global competitiveness through innovation and transparent trade.
