- Business
- James Warren Tea Limited James Warren Tea Limited engages in the cultivation, manufacture, and sale of tea in India. The company operates four premium tea estates--Balijan (H), Deamoolie, Thowra, and Zaloni--located in the high-quality South Bank region of Upper Assam across approximately 2,200 hectares; it produces CTC and orthodox teas that are hand-plucked, processed in state-of-the-art factories adhering to strict food safety standards including MRL compliance, HACCP certification, and Ethical Trade Partnership guidelines, with regular testing at NABL-certified laboratories and quality checks by experienced tasters. Its teas serve domestic markets through auctions and private channels as well as international buyers in countries such as Germany, the UK, the USA, and the Middle East; the company launched the Assam1860 single-estate black tea brand from the Thowra garden, featuring 100% Rainforest Alliance certification and garden-fresh packaging without blending. Tracing its origins to 1850 when James Warren planted the first estate near Dibrugarh, the properties were acquired in 1983 by Govind Ruia and later demerged seven high-quality estates from Warren Tea Limited into the current entity, which was incorporated in 2009 and lists on BSE Limited with headquarters in Kolkata. Recent developments include approval for voluntary delisting of equity shares from the Calcutta Stock Exchange effective December 10, 2024; execution of a memorandum of understanding under SEBI LODR regulations; board appointments such as Mr. Rajeev Takru as additional non-executive director in March 2024 and changes in CFO and director roles; and prior equity buybacks in 2023 and 2022 to optimize shareholder returns and capital structure.