The United Planters' Association of South India (UPASI)
The United Planters’ Association of South India (UPASI) was founded in 1893 as an apex body of different district planters’ associations. These associations had originally been constituted in the major tea and coffee-growing areas of the Madras Presidency, Travancore, Coorg, and Cochin. UPASI was formed to give a collective voice to planters in South India, enabling their common interests in policy advocacy, agricultural development, and economic viability.
The establishment of UPASI was precipitated by an event in 1892 when the Government of India dismissively turned down a petition filed by the South Indian Planters’ Association. The petition, signed by signatories of 13 district planters’ associations, called for redress of grievances that were at the core of the plantation industry. The rejection of their appeal, described as ‘curt and discourteous,’ provoked general discontent among the planters, and ultimately led to a decisive meeting at Mayo Hall in Bangalore on August 28, 1893.
The meeting, titled the United Planters’ Conference, set the stage for UPASI, with its headquarters located in Coonoor, a strategic point in the Nilgiri Hills renowned for teas plantations.
Since its establishment, UPASI has been a crucial agency in the development of the tea and coffee industries in South India. UPASI has remained engaged with research, policy advice, and programs aimed at raising production efficiency and market development. UPASI has made important contributions to technological innovations and the adoption of sustainable practices in plantation agriculture, such that South Indian tea has a reputation for excellence and quality.
Spice Up Your Business with Authentic Indian Flavors
Import and Export Excellence from India!
Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation (TANTEA)
The Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation, popularly referred to as TANTEA, is among the largest tea plantation organizations in India, with the largest extent under clonal tea cultivation. TANTEA controls about 2,770 hectares of tea estates in the Nilgiris and the Nilgiri-Wynaad districts and contributes heavily towards India’s tea production and generation of employment.
The origin of TANTEA goes back to 1968 when it was first formed as a Forest Development Project. The project was conceived with the primary objective of providing employment to Indian-origin individuals who had been repatriated from Sri Lanka under the Sastri-Srimavo Pact of 1964.
This pact, signed between the Sri Lankan and Indian governments, allowed Indian-origin workers who had been working in Sri Lanka’s tea plantations for generations to return. The project sought to bring these workers into the Indian tea sector by giving them livelihood in newly established tea plantations.
It was formally turned into the Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation (TANTEA) in 1976, continuing to institutionalize its functions to assist repatriated families as well as augment the economy of the state. TANTEA has employed almost 2,500 Sri Lankan-migrating families directly over the decades, ensuring that they remain stable financially and become integrated socially.
Apart from its socio-economic impact, TANTEA played a key role in the spread of sustainable tea cultivation practices. With its focus on clonal teas varieties, which are renowned for their high production and quality, the company has consolidated Tamil Nadu’s place in the competitive tea industry.
TANTEA’s tea estates are also a model for the adoption of scientific farming practices, nature conservation initiatives, and worker welfare schemes.
Spice Up Your Business with Authentic Indian Flavors
Import and Export Excellence from India!
The INCOSERVE and Small Growers' Support
Taking into consideration the plight of small tea growers in Tamil Nadu, the state government formed the Tamil Nadu Small Growers Industrial Cooperative Tea Factories Federation Ltd., popularly referred to as INCOSERVE. The main objective of the same was to safeguard the interests of small tea cultivators by offering them infrastructural and economic help.
The roots of INCOSERVE trace back to 1962 when the first cooperative tea factory was set up under its direction. Ever since, INCOSERVE has been at the forefront of empowering small tea farmers by providing them with access to vital services like warehousing, bulk procurement of farm inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, and efficient marketing assistance. By functioning on a cooperative model, INCOSERVE affords small-scale tea producers a fair opportunity to compete in the larger tea industry.
Under the umbrella of INCOSERVE, a chain of cooperative factories—popularly known as Indco factories—has been established in Tamil Nadu. These factories offer small tea growers processing and packaging facilities for their crop so that they are able to keep quality standards high and profitability higher. Currently, 15 Indco factories are functioning, each contributing to the economic development of scores of small-sized tea farmers.
One of the major achievements of INCOSERVE has been in market linkages and collective bargaining. Through the aggregation of the produce of small growers and negotiation for improved prices, INCOSERVE has improved their income and stability. The cooperative model also promotes community involvement and equitable distribution of profit, making tea farming a sustainable livelihood for thousands of growers.
Spice Up Your Business with Authentic Indian Flavors
Import and Export Excellence from India!
About us
We bridge the gap between local producers and global markets, ensuring seamless trade facilitation with exceptional quality and reliability. We provide quick delivery services with customized packaging with all approval of International Certificates (Spices board India, MSME, IEC, fssai, FIEO, APEDA, EU certification, FDA and Many More)
Contact us
Shop No. 3, Ganesh Prestige Sr. No. 2/15, Near Laxmi Jewellers, Dhanakawadi, Pune – 411043, Maharashtra INDIA.
Call On
+91 9545205050
+91 9822422584
Leave A Comment