History of tea in India Upper Assam; in 1840, the Assam Tea Company began the commercial production of tea in the region, run by indentured servitude of the local inhabitants. [This tea was not for export - dis ambiguities needed] Beginning in the 1850s, the tea industry rapidly expanded, consuming vast tracts of land for tea plantations. By the turn of the century, Assam became the leading tea producing region in the world. India was the top producer of tea for nearly a century, but recently China has overtaken India as the top tea producer due to increased land availability. Indian tea companies have acquired
Seven Color Tea plantations in the world, both in size and production. Traditionally, the Sylhet region is the most important tea-growing area in the country. Three out of the four districts in Sylhet Division are tea-producing districts: Maulvi Bazar, Habiganj and Sylhet. Srimangal, a town in Moulvibazar, is known as the tea capital of Bangladesh and is famous for being surrounded for miles around by hill slopes covered with tea gardens. Being located on hills and within dense forests, Srimangal experiences heavy rainfall and wet winters. As this is a desirable environment for excellent tea production, 38 tea plantations have been established here.