ROOTED IN FREEDOM
In 1912, when the tea industry was predominantly British, PC Chatterjee founded Luxmi Tea as an Indian movement for self reliance.
In 1912, when the tea industry was predominantly British, PC Chatterjee founded Luxmi Tea as an Indian movement for self reliance.
(Image: PC Chatterjee (right), doting on his elephants)
Concerned with the growing Chinese monopoly on tea, the British traders sought to find an alternate source for their consumption.
During the same time period, the colonists found a wild variety of long-leaved tea shrubs in the backyards of tribes that lived in Assam. This is how the British discovered tea in India and began to cultivate it commercially.
PC’s first capital investment was on a family of elephants whom he doted on like his children. Elephants, with PC in the driver’s seat, could get you deep in the plantation.
Any instance where an inferior tea bush was spotted was remedied by a yank of the elephant’s trunk - uprooting all but the best bushes. This ensured an early emphasis on quality.
Bosses from British management agencies came and advised that Luxmi’s processes and systems were curious, but since we were clocking the best prices in the Calcutta auctions, while having a ball at it, we chose to remain different.”
- RUDRA CHATTERJEE