The West Bengal government has identified a plot of land in the port area of Kolkata to set up a dedicated tea hub. The facility will have a common testing unit and a packaging and blending facility, and will help promote value addition of tea for the domestic and export markets.

Plots will also be made available within the tea park, spread over 20 acres, for bigger players to set up their own units. The port will lease out the plot to the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), which will make the initial investment to set up the facilities.

The port area will allow setting up customs bonded warehouses in the zone, which will ensure tea consignments are not opened multiple times for checking, to retain quality and freshness.

Smaller players, which are unable to set up their own units for packaging and blending, can rent this facility. The government will also set up high-end labs which can test phytosanitary standards demanded by importing countries.