Tea Board India launches tea-tasting and sommelier courses in Kurseong

Tea Board India has introduced two tea-tasting and sommelier courses at its Kurseong research centre, including 60-hour and 210-hour programmes, to build a pool of trained tasters and support quality assurance, branding and value addition for Indian teas.

— Source publishedMon, 3 Aug, 2026, 21:16 IST·First seen Mon, 3 Aug, 2026, 21:25 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

Tea Board India launched tea-tasting and sommelier courses at its Kurseong research centre to build trained talent, improve quality assurance, support branding

Key facts

  • 2 courses
  • 60 hours
  • 210 hours
  • 60-hour inaugural certificate programme

Why this matters

Tea companies, hospitality groups and education partners may find collaboration opportunities around certified tasting talent, specialty-tea experiences and value-added Indian tea portfolios.

What to watch

  • Enrollment mix between estate employees, independent professionals, exporters and hospitality participants.
  • Whether Tea Board or major buyers recognise course completion as a preferred qualification for quality-control roles.
  • Launches of certified-origin, single-estate, specialty or premium Indian tea ranges following the programme.
  • Changes in auction premiums for higher-grade Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri and specialty tea lots.
  • Export buyer demand for sensory documentation, traceability and quality-assurance credentials.
  • Evidence of graduate placement, employer sponsorship or repeat course cohorts.
  • Tea brands and estate groups may sponsor employees for certification and advertise trained tea professionals in premium product launches.
  • Auction houses, exporters and specialty retailers may add sensory scores, origin narratives and lot-level quality information to sales materials.
  • Hospitality chains, tea boutiques and e-commerce sellers may create guided tasting formats, subscription boxes and sommelier-led experiences.
  • Leading gardens may invest in plucking standards, factory controls and traceability systems so improved tasting capability can support credible premium claims.

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