Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

16-May-2012 15:42 IST

Representations Received Declaring Tea as National Drink

The representation received from the joint forum of Assam Tea Planters Association (ATPA), North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) and Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP) has appealed for declaring tea as a national drink of India as it is consumed by large sections of people and this would also contribute to its brand building exercise. There is no fixed criteria for according national status to any particular product/commodity. However, a proposal to declare tea as the national drink of India was earlier examined during 2006 in consultation with the Central Ministries/Departments concerned and the States/UTs. The matter was not pursued further as objections were raised by some of the State Governments and it was felt that coffee is a competing beverage and both have respective market shares and declaring one particular beverage as a ‘national drink’ will likely be at the cost of the other.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

DS/GK

National drink designation for tea contested due to competing beverages and state objections, so earlier proposal was not pursued. Representations urged declaring tea as the national drink for its wide consumption and brand potential, but there is no established criteria for national status. A prior intergovernmental examination was not pursued after State objections and concerns about competing beverage interests, notably coffee; the Minister of State reported these facts in a written parliamentary reply.