India’s World, Volume 2, Issue 10, October 2026 

The Great Indian Tea Story 

This issue of India’s World explores the journey of Indian tea, from its colonial origins to the challenges and opportunities shaping its future. 

In his editor’s note, Happymon Jacob reflects on his childhood in Kerala’s High Range and the unexpected discoveries that came with exploring the history of tea. Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah, tea industry veteran and former Chairman of the Tea Board of India, opens the Argument section with an examination of tea’s colonial past, the challenges confronting the industry, and the urgent need to strengthen India’s export prospects. 

The special coverage explores Indian tea from multiple perspectives. Arup Kumar Dutta traces the story of Assam tea, Deepanwita Gita Niyogi examines Darjeeling’s changing aroma, and George Abraham Pottamkulam revisits the tea-growing landscape of Munnar. In an interview with C. Murugan, Deputy Chairperson of the Tea Board India, Junjun Sharma Pathak explores the prospects for taking Indian tea to the world. The cover stories examine the threat climate change poses to the industry, the place of tea in social life, and the growing unpredictability confronting tea growers. 

Beyond tea, the issue turns to a major question in Indian foreign policy: what does BRICS mean for India? The issue also examines the India–China border, Nepal’s long road to reconstruction, the lessons of Hormuz, and the case for linking Brazil’s Pix payment system with UPI. Global dispatches, books, film, and culture round out an issue that connects the everyday experience of a cup of tea with the larger forces shaping India and the world.