Tata Tea renames North India plantations
The Financial Express — February 20, 2007

Tata Tea, the world's second largest tea company on Monday unveiled a new model for its North India Plantation Operations (NIPO). The new company titled Amalgamated Plantation will take over Tata Tea's north India plantation business with effect from April 1, 2007. Hardeep Singh, former chairman of Cargill India will take over as the chairman of the new company.

With this move, Tata Tea is finally exiting its north Indian plantation business to sharpen its focus on branded tea business, according to industry analysts. Announcing the news, RK Krishna Kumar, vice chairman, Tata Tea said: "Tata Tea is now moving to give our profitable NIPO a new additional dimension in terms of including worker participation - but equally importantly to pursue crop diversification." According to him, Tata Tea now takes a tougher option of building a new business model compared to an outright sale and exit from tea products.

Incidentally, Tata Tea would continue to hold up to 20 per cent of equity in both North and South India organisations.