UPASI Tea Research Foundation

What UPASI Tea Research Foundation does

UPASI Tea Research Foundation (UPASI TRF) is a non-profit Trust (registration 31/2000) established in 1926 as the Tea Experimental Station in Gudalur, Tamil Nadu, and reorganized in 1999 as a standalone foundation under the United Planters' Association of Southern India (UPASI). It is the second tea research institute in India and the third-oldest globally, now entering its centenary in 2026. The organization conducts multidisciplinary scientific research across Botany, Soil Chemistry, Entomology, Pesticide Residue, Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Plant Physiology & Biotechnology, and Tea Technology, maintaining a research institute near Nirar Dam in Valparai (Coimbatore District) and an administrative headquarters in Coonoor.

Its core offerings comprise NABL-accredited analytical testing services for pesticide residues and heavy metals, a Plant Protection Formulation (PPF) testing facility, six regional advisory centers (Coonoor, Gudalur, Koppa, Meppadi, Munnar, Vandiperiyar), the annual Golden Leaf India Awards: Southern Tea Competition (TGLIA), a Reduviid Mass Production Facility for biological pest control, training and internship programs, and published research including the Guidelines on Tea Culture in South India and proprietary UPASI Tea Clones. Revenue is generated through pay-as-you-go laboratory testing fees, unit-priced publication sales, industrial training programs, and TGLIA competition entry fees.

UPASI TRF serves B2B customers across the South Indian tea value chain — primarily commercial tea plantations and estates in Nilgiris, Wayanad, Anamallais, Travancore, and High Ranges, plus Bought Leaf Factories, individual industry professionals, and academic researchers. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise field engagement through the regional advisory centers and laboratory sample submission, supplemented by an online publication store, monthly newsletters, industry events (IITC, TGLIA, PLACROSYM), and direct advisory relationships. Notable enterprise customers include Harrisons Malayalam Limited and United Nilgiri Tea Estates Company, with 45–60 estates participating in TGLIA annually and over 1,000 tea samples analyzed each year for FSSAI pesticide residue and heavy metal parameters.

Name

UPASI Tea Research Foundation

Legal name

UPASI Tea Research Foundation

Website

https://upasitearesearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UPASI Tea Research Foundation is a 100-year-old non-profit trust that provides NABL-accredited tea testing, regional advisory services, scientific research, and the annual TGLIA quality competition for South Indian tea plantations and estates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Processing (Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, Drying) (AFAFADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pesticide Residue & Agrochemical Screening Services (Soil/Plant/Water) (AFACAKAF), Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)

Keywords

• Tea research
• Agricultural advisory
• Pesticide residue testing
• Tea cultivation guidance
• Plant pathology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Coimbatore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Analytical and Testing Services: NABL-accredited laboratory testing services for tea samples including pesticide residue analysis, heavy metal testing, and quality certification for Plant Protection Facilities. Revenue generated from test fees and certification charges.
2. Publications and Books: Sale of tea research publications including books, guidelines, annual reports, newsletters, and research highlights. Publications cover tea cultivation practices, manufacturing techniques, and industry insights.
3. Training Programs: Industrial training programs and internships for tea industry professionals and students. Provides educational services for capacity building in tea cultivation and manufacturing.
4. Competition Organization: Organization of The Golden Leaf India Awards tea quality competition with entry fees from participating estates. Includes special auction platform for winning teas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UPASI Tea Research Foundation conducts scientific research on tea cultivation, manufacturing, pest management, soil chemistry, and tea quality, and delivers advisory, laboratory testing, and training services to tea plantations and estates across South India. It operates NABL-accredited pesticide residue and heavy metal testing laboratories, six regional advisory centres, the TGLIA tea quality competition, and a publications programme covering cultivation guidelines and industry handbooks.

Product overview

UPASI Tea Research Foundation operates as a research and advisory organization offering a multi-faceted portfolio of products and services for the South Indian tea industry. The core offerings include NABL-accredited analytical testing services for pesticide residue and heavy metals (PPF Testing Facility), the annual Golden Leaf India Awards: Southern Tea Competition (TGLIA) quality competition, regional advisory services through six centers (Coonoor, Gudalur, Koppa, Meppadi, Munnar, Vandiperiyar), and published research products including Guidelines on Tea Culture in South India, Forest Gold, and various technical handbooks. Additional services include the MRLs Database for regulatory compliance, Reduviid Mass Production Facility for biological pest control, and training/internship programs. The organization maintains research divisions in Botany, Soil Chemistry, Entomology, Pesticide Residue, Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Plant Physiology & Biotechnology, and Tea Technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Analytical Testing Services (Pesticide Residue and Heavy Metal Testing) NABL-accredited laboratory services for testing pesticide residue parameters and heavy metals in tea samples; supports Good Agricultural Practices certification and compliance with FSSAI parameters and European Union residue standards. Used by tea estates across South India, with more than 1,000 samples analysed annually.
• PPF Testing Facility NABL-accredited facility for testing and certifying Plant Protection Formulations (PPFs), Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), and related agricultural inputs used in the tea industry.
• Reduviid Mass Production Facility Facility for mass production of reduviid insects used as biological pest control agents in tea plantations, supporting integrated pest management practices.
• Regional Advisory Services Consultation and extension services delivered through six regional advisory centres in Coonoor, Gudalur, Koppa, Meppadi, Munnar, and Vandiperiyar for tea cultivation, pest management, soil health, and plantation management.
• Training Programmes and Internships Industrial training and internship programmes covering tea cultivation, manufacturing, and research methodologies for students and tea industry professionals.
• Tea Research Publications Published books, guidelines, annual reports, newsletters, and research highlights covering tea cultivation practices, manufacturing techniques, and industry developments. Titles include Guidelines on Tea Culture in South India, Forest Gold: The Story of South Indian Tea, Handbook on Tea Cultivation (Tamil), Planting Century, Planting Times, Glimpses of Tea Research, and Tea Research in South India: A Compendium.
• MRLs Database Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) database providing regulatory compliance information for pesticide residues in tea across different markets.
• UPASI Tea Clones and Planting Material UPASI Tea Clones, biclonal seed stocks, and other clones developed for South Indian tea cultivation conditions, supplied to estates for planting.
• Golden Leaf India Awards: Southern Tea Competition (TGLIA) Annual structured tea quality competition organised jointly by UPASI and the Tea Board of India. Features a three-tier screening process: initial tasting by an Indian jury, laboratory analysis for pesticide residue and heavy metals at the NABL-accredited facility, and a final tasting by an international jury. Winning and competing teas are sold via a special auction on the Cochin Auction Platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ tea samples analyzed annually for pesticide residues and heavy metals with none failing parameters
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2025CCPA is the umbrella body under which the 8th India International Tea Convention (IITC) 2025 was organized in Kochi, Kerala. UPASI TRF participates under the aegis of CCPA along with Tea Board of India.
• ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (ICAR-IIOPR)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2023ICAR-IIOPR hosted the 25th Plantation Crops Symposium (PLACROSYM) in December 2023. UPASI TRF participates in this biennial symposium that brings together scientists and industry stakeholders from plantation crop sectors.
• Tea Board of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTea Board of India is a key strategic partner for UPASI TRF in organizing the Golden Leaf India Awards (TGLIA) tea quality competition. The partnership involves joint organization of the annual competition, laboratory analysis coordination, and industry development initiatives. The Board also collaborates on the India International Tea Convention.
• United Planters' Association of Southern India (UPASI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPASI is the parent apex organization of planters in southern states of India (established 1893). UPASI TRF operates under UPASI's umbrella and provides scientific research services to the plantation industry. The relationship involves organizational oversight, shared industry advocacy, and collaborative event organization including TGLIA and IITC.
• NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories)coreOthersNABL provides laboratory accreditation to UPASI TRF's testing facilities. This accreditation validates the quality and competence of the laboratory's testing and calibration services for pesticide residues and heavy metals in tea samples.
• Tea Research Association Tocklai (TRA Tocklai)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as useful link and partner institution for tea research coordination in India. TRA Tocklai is the first tea research institute in India (established 1910) based in Assam.
• National Tea Research Foundation (NTRF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as useful link and partner institution for tea research coordination in India.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS Société Générale de Surveillance: Global testing, inspection and certification company with broad agricultural and food safety testing operations including MRL compliance — relevant peer as an alternative or complementary lab to UPASI TRF's NABL facility for international tea shipments.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global commercial testing-services leader with extensive agricultural and food residue testing capabilities, including for tea matrices — a private-sector incumbent that competes with UPASI TRF's NABL-accredited pesticide residue and heavy metal testing services, particularly for export-focused estates.
• Tea Board of India: Statutory body under India's Ministry of Commerce overseeing tea development, regulation, and promotion — co-organizer with UPASI TRF of TGLIA and IITC. Functions in adjacent rather than directly overlapping institutional territory but is the closest regulatory counterpart in Indian tea governance.
• ICAR-Indian Council of Agricultural Research: India's apex agricultural research body coordinating crop-specific research institutes (including ICAR-IIOPR which co-hosted PLACROSYM with UPASI TRF). Compares as a broad public-sector agricultural R&D incumbent.

Others

• United Planters' Association of Southern India (UPASI): The parent apex body of planters in southern India (established 1893) under which UPASI TRF operates, providing industry advocacy, events, and services. Included as the parent and policy umbrella for the subject company.
• Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA): Umbrella body for Indian plantation associations and co-organizer of the India International Tea Convention with UPASI TRF and Tea Board of India. Comparable as an industry-coordinating counterpart and event co-convener.

Direct peers

• National Tea Research Foundation (NTRF): An India-wide tea research funding and coordination body listed as a partner institution to UPASI TRF, jointly supporting tea research projects across Indian tea regions. Comparable in mandate around tea science, with a national-versus-regional scope difference.
• Tea Research Association Tocklai (TRA Tocklai): India's first tea research institute (established 1910 in Assam), TRA Tocklai conducts scientific research on tea cultivation, processing, and plant protection for the North Indian tea industry — the most direct functional peer to UPASI TRF, which serves the South Indian counterpart.

Regional players

• Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka (TRI Sri Lanka): Sri Lanka's national tea research institute under the Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy, focused on tea science, breeding, and processing for Sri Lankan estates. Highly comparable peer serving a different geographic tea cluster.
• Tea Research Institute of Kenya (TRFK): Kenya's national tea research institute under KALRO, conducting research on tea cultivation, plant breeding and processing for the Kenyan tea sector. Functions as a national tea R&D counterpart in a different geography but with the same crop, mandate, and advisory model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OfficialUPASI
• Facebookfacebook.com/ediupasi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upasi-tea-research-foundation

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UPASI Tea Research Foundation