On Saturday, March 22, 2025, the Department of Agricultural Engineering organized a guest lecture on “Awareness on the Quality of South Indian Tea in Educational Institutions” in collaboration with Tea Board India, a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, BUDDIES Café – Danjo Teas, and Paavai Educational Institutions.
The resource persons for the session were:
Mr. M. Ramesh, Assistant Director, Tea Development, Tea Board India
Mr. S. Arun Kumar, Factory Development Officer, Tea Board India
Mr. D. Nirmal Raj, Tea Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO, Buddies Café – Danjo Teas
The event was coordinated by Dr. P. Tamilchelvan and Mr. U. Karthickeya from the Department of Agricultural Engineering and was held at Kalam Chamber, Paavai Engineering College, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
The program consisted of three sessions for students and faculty members. It commenced with a prayer song, followed by a welcome address by Dr. B. Kailashkumar, Head of the Department. The presidential address was delivered by Dr. K. K. Ramasamy, Director (Admin), who also felicitated the resource persons with a memento.
Mr. M. Ramesh introduced the varieties of tea available in India, ranging from low-cost to premium-quality teas. He explained processing techniques such as tea leaf harvesting, drying, milling, segregation of different grades, packaging, marketing, and modern sales strategies.
Mr. S. Arun Kumar highlighted adulteration in tea granules, explaining how market players manipulate tea quality. He demonstrated practical methods for consumers to detect and analyze adulteration.
Mr. D. Nirmal Raj discussed new trends in tea leaf segregation, marketing, and the availability of over 300 varieties of tea priced between ₹300/kg and ₹1,00,000/kg. He also demonstrated the process of making high-quality tea without milk and sugar.
This awareness program provided students with valuable insights into career opportunities in the tea industry, tea processing techniques, global tea culture, and market trends. A total of 750 students and several faculty members attended the program and gained a deeper understanding of the tea industry.
The interactive nature of the sessions made the event a resounding success, sparking student interest in potential careers with Tea Board India. The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by the Student Secretary, expressing gratitude to the resource persons, faculty members, and participants for making the session engaging and insightful.
