Guwahati, Aug. 5 -- The Tea Association of India (TAI) has requested the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to review and regulate duty-free tea imports allowed under the Advance Authorisation Scheme and SEZ provisions.

In a statement on Tuesday, TAI Chairman Sandeep Singhania expressed serious concerns about how rising imports are distorting the domestic tea market, lowering prices, and damaging the global reputation of Indian tea.

Singhania referred to official Tea Board data showing a steady increase in imports over the years. In 2019, India imported 15.85 million kilograms of tea. This rose to 23.79 million kg in 2020, 26.61 million kg in 2021, 29.84 million kg in 2022, and slightly declined to 23.65 million kg in 2023. Des...