Tata Tea Ltd
Afternoon Dispatch — March 18, 2005

Welcome to the world of Tata Tea. Let's take a peep into this "Superbrand" brew that cheers the majority of us in the mornings. Set up in 1964 as a joint venture with the UK-based James Finlay and Co. to develop value-added tea, the Tata Tea group of companies which includes Tata Tea and the U.K. based Tetley Group, today represents the world's second largest global branded tea operation with product and brand presence in 35 countries.

Among India's first multinational companies, the operations of Tata Tea and its subsidiaries focus on branded product offerings in tea but with a significant presence in plantation activity in India and Sri Lanka. The consolidated worldwide branded tea business of the Tata Tea group contributes to around 86 per cent of its consolidated turnover with the remaining 14 per cent coming from bulk tea, coffee, spices and investment income.

The company is headquarted in Kolkata and owns 51 tea estates in the states of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and one coffee estate in Tamil Nadu. Products and Brands - it's 6 major brands - Tata Tea, Tetley, Agni, Kannan Devan, Chakra Gold and Gemini cater to all major consumer segments for tea. It's distribution network in the country caters to over 1.7 million retail outlets in India. The-company has a 100 per cent export-oriented unit manufacturing instant tea in Munnar, Kerala.

Instant tea is used for light density 100 per cent Teas, iced tea mixes and in the preparation of ready-to-drink beverages and produces 60 million kg. of black tea annually. Research and development, overseas business and subsidiaries. Tata Tea and Tetley group have full-fledged R&D Centres. In addition, Tata Tea has a full-fledged R&D centre at Munnar in Kerala and Teok in Assam focussing on the entire gamut of tea operations. Together, they have overseas business in Australia, Middle East, West Asia, N. Africa, Poland, Russia and Kazakhstan markets with subsidiaries in Great Britain, U.S. and India.

The Tetley group headquartered in Great Britain since 1969 is a leading international tea co. which is accorded the 'super brand' recognition in Great Britain selling over 60 Tetley branded products to over 40 countries world-wide. It is the number one tea bag brand in Great. Britain and Canada and the second largest in the world with significant market shares in the United States, Australia, Poland and France. Besides, it is growing steadily in the rest of Europe throughout the Caribbean and lesser developed markets such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and Russia where Tetley was launched last year.

It has a customised portfolio of offerings for each country ranging from black, green, fruit and herbal teas, iced ready-to-drink teas and an extensive range of exotic speciality tea. Tata coffee is the largest coffee plantation company in Asia catering to both instant and ground coffee. Tata Tea Inc. in the U.S. processes and markets instant tea. Tata tea has a substantial interest in the Sri Lankan Tea Industry and is focused on production and marketing of tea, rubber and palm oil. Community Welfare - Both the Tata Tea and Tetley Group have made magnanimous contribution to social and community development.