Assam’s tea industry raised more than Rs 2.26 crore for flood-affected families through a special charity auction at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre and an additional contribution. Ghilaidhari BP Tea drew the highest bid of Rs 16 lakh, while producers, buyers and other industry stakeholders joined the initiative.

Assam Tea Industry Raises Over ₹2.26 Crore For Flood-Affected Families At Special GTAC Charity Auction | AI Representational Image

Guwahati, Oct 5: Assam’s tea industry has come together to support flood-affected families, raising more than ₹2.26 crore through a special charity tea auction at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) on Monday.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled a bust of Swahid Maniram Dewan, regarded as Assam’s first indigenous tea grower and a martyr of the 1857 freedom struggle, at the GTAC premises before taking part in the auction organised jointly by the Tea Association of India (TAI) and GTAC.

The special auction, held in honour of Dewan’s legacy, brought together tea producers, buyers and other stakeholders for a common cause. The proceeds will go to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for people and families affected by floods.

Auction raises over ₹2.26 crore

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The auction raised ₹1.61 crore, while former TAI chairman Hemant Bangur made an additional contribution of ₹65 lakh, taking the total to over ₹2.26 crore.

Assam’s tea has always carried our pride. Today, it carried our compassion too.I had the honour of bringing down the hammer on the ceremonial lots at the Charity Tea Auction 2026 in Guwahati.Over 15,000 kg of Assam’s finest tea raised more than ₹2.61 crore for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.My heartfelt gratitude to our tea industry for coming together with such generosity to support those in need.

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 5, 2026

Premium teas including Assam Orthodox, CTC, organic and matcha, besides special Darjeeling teas, went under the hammer.

Ghilaidhari BP Tea fetched the highest bid of ₹16 lakh, with Society Tea emerging as the buyer. Zamira BP Tea fetched ₹13 lakh and was bought by Jivraj Tea.

GTAC and associations contribute

The GTAC separately contributed ₹20 lakh, while the GTAC Tea Lounge and Guwahati Tea Auction Buyers’ Association contributed ₹5 lakh and ₹2 lakh respectively to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Representatives of the three organisations handed over cheques to Sarma.

The Chief Minister thanked the tea industry for combining Assam’s tea heritage with a social cause.

Sarma said the initiative provided a platform for tea producers and buyers to come together and contribute to the welfare of people affected by the floods. He expressed hope that the contributions would provide meaningful support to affected families.

Buyers join from across India

The charity auction was the first special tea auction of its kind at GTAC in more than a decade, with the previous such event held in 2012.

The auction drew tea producers, buyers and traders from across the country. Buyers from Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad and Delhi participated in the bidding, with leading companies including Society Tea, Wagh Bakri, Today Tea, Jivraj Tea and Uphaar among the major purchasers.

In terms of purchase value, Society Tea led with ₹26.10 lakh, followed by Wagh Bakri at ₹24.04 lakh, Today Tea at ₹15.10 lakh, Jivraj Tea at ₹13 lakh and Uphaar at ₹12.24 lakh.

Tea fraternity backs initiative

TAI senior vice-president Mohit Agarwal said the response from the tea fraternity had been overwhelming.

“The presence and active participation of the Chief Minister created tremendous excitement across the tea fraternity. We are particularly grateful to buyers who travelled from different parts of the country and bid so generously,” Agarwal said.

The auction brought together the entire tea value chain. Producers donated tea, brokers and participating warehouses waived their charges, GTAC facilitated the auction and buyers came forward with generous bids.

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Industry leaders attend programme

The programme was attended by Labour Welfare and Tea Tribes & Adivasi Welfare Minister Rameshwar Teli, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, senior state government officials, representatives of TAI and GTAC, tea producers, buyers and other stakeholders.

TAI president Shailaja Mehta and Dhunseri CMD C.K. Dhanuka felicitated the Chief Minister at the programme.

The event also saw participation from prominent tea industry figures and buyers, including All India Tea Traders’ Association federation chairman Paras Desai, Rudra Chatterjee and Prabhat Bezboruah, among others.

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