Ispahani Tea
Ispahani Tea Limited is Bangladesh's largest branded tea company, holding approximately 50% of the national branded tea market and 80% of the branded tea-bag market. It owns four tea gardens producing over 4 million kg annually and distributes through 517+ sales centers nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1820
- HeadquartersChittagong, Bangladesh
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ispahani Tea does
Ispahani Tea Limited is the largest branded tea company in Bangladesh, operating as a core subsidiary of M.M. Ispahani Limited, a diversified group with origins tracing to 1820 and formal incorporation in 1934. The company commands approximately 50% of Bangladesh's national branded tea market and 80% of the branded tea-bag market, distributing through an unrivalled network of over 517 sales centers across 25 divisional offices covering all major regions of Bangladesh. Its brand portfolio spans mass-market loose tea and double-chamber tea bags under the flagship Ispahani Mirzapore label, premium and flavored green teas under Blender's Choice, the health-positioned Zareen line, and secondary brands including Mirzapore PD, BOP, RD, and Green Spot, priced in Bangladeshi Taka across pack sizes from 7.5gm to 500gm.
The company is vertically integrated across the tea value chain: it owns four tea gardens (Mirzapore, Ghazipore, and Zareen in Moulvi Bazar; Neptune in Chittagong) producing approximately 4 million kilos per annum — over 5% of Bangladesh's total tea output — with average yields above 2,250 kg per hectare. Its blending and packaging operations use European-origin machinery with hygienic state-of-the-art automated blending and ISO 9001:2015 certification. Ispahani also produces approximately 120,000 kg of Raw Rubber Sheet per annum from Neptune and Mirzapore gardens, with 75% exported. Beyond domestic sales, it exports Bangladesh-origin tea to the USA, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, UK, New Zealand, and Pakistan.
The business model is direct-to-consumer distribution through its owned sales centers, complemented by long-tenured brand-building sponsorships of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) cricket tournament, the Banglabid reality show (Channel I), and the Blender's Choice – Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards. The company serves three core segments: mass-market households across all income tiers, premium tea drinkers, and health-conscious women. Family ownership remains under the Ispahani family, with Mirza Salman Ispahani as Chairman of the group and family members including Imad, Zahida, Emaad, and Mirza Ahmed Ispahani serving as directors; the broader group employs approximately 10,000 people across tea, textile, jute, property, poultry, and shipping divisions.
Ispahani Tea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ispahani Tea
- Legal name
- Ispahani Tea Limited
- Website
- https://ispahanitea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1820
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Ispahani Tea Limited is Bangladesh's largest branded tea company, holding approximately 50% of the national branded tea market and 80% of the branded tea-bag market. It owns four tea gardens producing over 4 million kg annually and distributes through 517+ sales centers nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ispahani Tea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Branded Tea Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tea Processing (Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, Drying) (AFAFADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAG)
Keywords
Where Ispahani Tea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chittagong
- HQ country
- Bangladesh
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
Ispahani Tea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tea Products - Domestic: Sale of branded tea products (loose tea, tea bags) through extensive distribution network across Bangladesh. Major brands include Ispahani Mirzapore Best Leaf, Mirzapore Double Chamber Tea Bags, Blender's Choice, and Zareen.
- Tea Export: Export of Bangladesh-origin tea in loose and packet form, in original or blended form to USA, Middle East (KSA, UAE, Qatar), UK, New Zealand, and Pakistan.
- Rubber Production: Rubber plantations at Neptune and Mirzapore tea gardens produce approximately 120,000 Kgs of Raw Rubber Sheet (RSS) per annum, with 75% exported for foreign currency earnings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ispahani Mirzapore Best Leaf - Multiple pack sizes from 7.5gm to 500gm |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ispahani Mirzapore Tea Bags - Double chamber tea bags |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Blender's Choice Premium Green Tea Bag-in-Bag |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Blender's Choice Premium Black Tea |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Blender's Choice Flavored Green Tea |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Zareen Premium Tea |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Ispahani Tea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ispahani Tea Limited produces, blends, packages, and distributes branded tea products in Bangladesh, operating four tea gardens (Mirzapore, Ghazipore, Zareen, Neptune) that produce approximately 4 million kilos of tea annually. The company sells loose leaf teas, double chamber tea bags, premium green tea, premium black tea, flavored green teas, and Zareen premium tea through over 517 sales centers across Bangladesh, and exports tea to international markets including USA, Middle East, UK, New Zealand, and Pakistan.
Product overview
Ispahani Tea is a comprehensive tea portfolio consisting of multiple branded products under a unified company. The core offerings include Ispahani Mirzapore (flagship brand with Best Leaf loose tea and double chamber Tea Bags), Blender's Choice Premium Tea (comprising Green Tea, Black Tea, and Flavored Green Tea variants), and Zareen Premium Tea (targeted at health-conscious consumers). Additional sub-brands include Mirzapore PD, BOP, RD, and Green Spot. The company operates four tea gardens (Mirzapore, Ghazipore, Zareen, Neptune) producing approximately 4 million kilos annually, representing over 5% of Bangladesh's total tea production. Ispahani Tea dominates the domestic market with approximately 50% of the national branded tea market and 80% of the branded tea-bag market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ispahani Mirzapore Best Leaf
- Ispahani Mirzapore Tea Bags
- Blender's Choice Premium Green Tea
- Blender's Choice Premium Black Tea
- Blender's Choice Flavored Premium Green Tea
- Zareen Premium Tea
- Ispahani Mirzapore PD (Peko Dust)
- Ispahani Mirzapore BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe)
- Ispahani Mirzapore RD (Red Dust)
- Green Spot
Quantifiable outcome
- No.1 Hot Beverage Brand in Bangladesh for 10 consecutive years (2015-2024)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ispahani Tea
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ispahani Tea technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Ispahani Tea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Daily StarcoreCo-presenter of Blender's Choice - The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards. The awards ceremony honors remarkable achievements in Bangladesh's rapidly growing OTT and digital entertainment industry. Third edition in 2024 with 30 award categories.
- TikTokcoreEntertainment partner for Blender's Choice - The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards. TikTok returned as partner for the 2024 edition to celebrate and amplify Bangladesh's most innovative digital voices.
- Channel IcoreMedia partner for Ispahani Mirzapore Banglabid reality show. Bangladesh's biggest TV reality show promoting Bengali language and culture, now in its 6th season (2024).
- Mediacom LimitedminorPartner in organizing Blender's Choice - The Daily Star OTT & Digital Content Awards. CEO Ajoy Kumar Kundu leads the event organization.
- Bangladesh Cricket Board / Bangladesh Premier LeaguecoreTitle sponsor of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) cricket tournament. Also title sponsor of Bangladesh-Zimbabwe cricket series.
- Bangladesh Squash Rackets FederationminorPatron of Bangabandhu International Squash Tournament, organized to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation.
- M.M. Ispahani LimitedcoreParent/sister company. Ispahani Tea Limited is a sister concern of M.M. Ispahani Limited, which established the private limited company in 1934. The group operates tea, textile, jute, property, poultry and shipping divisions.
- Bangladesh Tea BoardminorGovernment body overseeing tea industry in Bangladesh. Ispahani participates in National Tea Day celebrations and receives awards through joint initiative with Ministry of Commerce.
- Bangladesh Brand ForumcoreAnnual Best Brand Awards organized in partnership with Nielsen Bangladesh. Ispahani Mirzapore has won multiple awards including Overall Best Brand and No.1 Hot Beverage Brand for consecutive years.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Ispahani Tea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Brooke Bond (Unilever): Global heritage tea brand under Unilever with strong South Asia presence (Brooke Bond Red Label, Taaza, Taj Mahal). A broad incumbent competing with Ispahani in Bangladesh's mass-market tea segment and increasingly in tea-bag and flavored tea.
- Tata Consumer Products (Tata Tea): India-headquartered multinational tea major (Tata Tea, Tetley, Kanan Devan) operating across South Asia and globally. Comparable to Ispahani as a vertically integrated branded tea player with significant domestic share, large distribution, and premium SKU extensions, though at much larger scale and geographic breadth.
- Mcleod Russel India (now part of ITC): One of the world's largest tea plantation companies, now integrated with ITC's branded tea business. Comparable to Ispahani in combining large-scale tea estate ownership with branded tea products, though operating at substantially larger scale in India and exports.
- Lipton (Unilever): Global mass-market tea brand under Unilever, present across bagged black and green teas in South Asia and the Middle East. Overlaps with Ispahani's mass-market and tea-bag segments and competes for similar household consumers in Bangladesh and export markets.
- Twinings (ABF): Heritage British tea brand owned by Associated British Foods, with broad global distribution across loose, bagged, and flavored teas. Comparable to Ispahani as a long-established branded tea house competing in premium and flavored segments where Ispahani's Blender's Choice operates.
Direct peers
- Dilmah: Sri Lankan family-owned tea brand founded by Merrill Fernando, vertically integrated from estate to branded loose-leaf, bagged, and flavored teas. Comparable to Ispahani in being a founder/family-led, quality- and origin-driven branded tea company with estate ownership and strong domestic plus export footprint.
- Wagh Bakri Tea Group: India-based family-owned branded tea company with strong Gujarat and broader India presence in loose-leaf and packaged teas. Comparable to Ispahani as a regional family-led branded tea champion with estate linkages, domestic dominance, and growing premiumization push.
- Ahmad Tea: UK-headquartered family-owned branded tea company (Ahmad, Clipper) sourcing teas globally and selling across the Middle East, UK and Asia. Comparable to Ispahani in being a family-controlled, blend-and-package-focused branded tea company with strong marketing emphasis and Middle East distribution overlap.
- Kazi & Kazi Tea (Kazi Tea Estate): Bangladesh-based tea producer and brand with own gardens in Panchagarh and a branded loose-leaf and packaged tea portfolio sold domestically. Most direct local competitor to Ispahani, sharing the Bangladesh market, garden-to-cup model, and premium positioning play.
Others
- Finlays (Swire Group): Global tea producer, blender and solutions provider with estates in Kenya, Sri Lanka and Argentina. Comparable to Ispahani as a vertically integrated tea business but operates B2B/institutional channels and supply rather than direct branded retail at Ispahani's scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Customer concentration
Ispahani Tea social profiles
Digital presenceIspahani Tea compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Ispahani Tea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ispahani Tea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Ispahani Tea subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Ispahani Tea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ispahani Tea M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ispahani Tea
What does Ispahani Tea do?
Ispahani Tea Limited produces, blends, packages, and distributes branded tea products in Bangladesh, operating four tea gardens (Mirzapore, Ghazipore, Zareen, Neptune) that produce approximately 4 million kilos of tea annually. The company sells loose leaf teas, double chamber tea bags, premium green tea, premium black tea, flavored green teas, and Zareen premium tea through over 517 sales centers across Bangladesh, and exports tea to international markets including USA, Middle East, UK, New Zealand, and Pakistan.
Is Ispahani Tea a public or private company?
Ispahani Tea is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Ispahani Tea founded?
Ispahani Tea was founded in 1820. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Ispahani Tea based?
Ispahani Tea is headquartered in Chittagong, Bangladesh, in the Asia region.
How does Ispahani Tea make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tea Products - Domestic is the primary driver. The others are tea Export and rubber Production.
Who are Ispahani Tea's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Brooke Bond (Unilever), Tata Consumer Products (Tata Tea), Mcleod Russel India (now part of ITC), Lipton (Unilever) and Twinings (ABF). Direct peers are Dilmah, Wagh Bakri Tea Group, Ahmad Tea and Kazi & Kazi Tea (Kazi Tea Estate). Finlays (Swire Group) is listed as an others.
Does Ispahani Tea have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ispahani Tea.
What industry is Ispahani Tea in?
Ispahani Tea's product category is Branded Tea Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFADAF, Tea Processing (Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, Drying), with a secondary code of AFAFADAG, Tea Blending & Flavoring. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.