Jorhat: Former President APJ Abdul Kalam
Tuesday called for redefining the tea industry with changing market dynamics, agro processing technologies and diversifying
markets led by creative leaders.
Pointing out that he was very particular about his cup
of tea which he always prepared himself, Kalam said, "we don't
know how to market beautiful tea and its spin off products.
The tea industry should be interested in marketing...it begins
with how to prepare tea to get its unique colour and
fragrance".
Addressing here the captains of the tea industry from
across the country and abroad, Kalam said, "For success in all
your missions you have to become creative leaders. Creative
leadership means exercising the vision to change the
traditional role from the commander to the coach, manager to
mentor, from director to delegator and from one who demands
respect to one who facilitates self-respect".
"For a prosperous and developed tea industry, the
important thrust will be the availability of number of
creative leaders who will integrate production, processing and
marketing of tea", he said inaugurating the World Tea Science
Congress as a part of the centenary celebration of the Tocklai
Experimental Station (TES) here.
"At the Toklai tea tasting centre, I witnessed a
number of tea products starting from tea candy, chewing tea
tablet, tea toffee, black tea tablet, tea biscuit, tea drink",
the eminent nuclear scientist said.
"I also saw other variant products and different types
of tea prepared for testing the taste of each variant. A great
market potential exists for these tea products and their
variants if they are commercialised, and created a brand for
their global marketing in association with the interested
private industries", the former President suggested.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, November 22, 2011, 16:23