Finlay

What Finlay does

Finlay operates as The Consolidated Tea and Lands Company (Bangladesh) Limited and Baraoora (Sylhet) Tea Company Limited, collectively producing approximately 16 million kg of tea annually — roughly one-fifth of Bangladesh's total tea production. The company owns and operates tea estates across Habigonj and Moulvibazar districts (including Sterling tea gardens, Balisera, Amrail, Baraoora, Daragaon, Rasidpur, Deanston, Rajghat, and Jagcherra estates), with 14 bonded warehouses in Chittagong supporting bulk storage and auction operations. Its core technology centers on Japanese green tea processing machinery and methods, making it the only producer of green tea in Bangladesh (~300,000 kg annually). The company also produces rubber, timber, bamboo, and black pepper from its estate lands.

Finlay's revenue model is primarily bulk tea sales through the Chittagong Tea Auction (weekly auctions under Bangladesh Tea Board oversight), supplemented by consumer packaged products (including the Shinrai Japanese Green Tea sub-brand) sold through retail super shops (Unimart, Aarong, Shopno, Olympic) and online retailers (Chaldal, Foodpanda). The company serves two primary customer segments: trade/B2B buyers purchasing bulk tea at auction, and individual consumers purchasing packaged retail products. Trade products are distributed through a nationwide sales team covering all channels from small independents to wholesale, cash and carry, convenience, and food service. With 10,000+ employees, an ISO-9000/ISO-14000-aligned TQM system, and 125 years of tea cultivation heritage from the James Finlay founding, the company operates as a vertically integrated agricultural enterprise with established infrastructure and regulatory positioning in Bangladesh's tea industry.

Name

Finlay

Legal name

The Consolidated Tea and Lands Company (Bangladesh) Limited

Website

https://jfteabd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Finlay is a Bangladesh-based tea producer operating tea estates and processing facilities, producing one-fifth of the country's tea output. The company sells bulk tea through the Chittagong Tea Auction and consumer products through retail super shops and online platforms, serving trade buyers and individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tea Production and Manufacturing

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Tea production
• Bulk tea auction
• Green tea manufacturing
• Tea plantation
• Consumer tea products

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bulk Tea Sales through Auction: Majority of tea sold through Chittagong Tea Auction, held weekly. Tea is sold in bulk to buyers through open auction. The company produces approximately 16 million kg annually, representing one-fifth of Bangladesh's tea production.
2. Consumer Tea Products: Consumer products including Green Tea (Shinrai) sold in retail packaging through super shops. Green tea production is approximately 300,000 kg per year.
3. Trade Products: Trade products sold through wholesale and B2B channels across Bangladesh.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Finlay plants, grows, manufactures, and distributes tea from company-owned estates in Bangladesh, producing approximately 16 million kg annually (about one-fifth of Bangladesh's national tea output). The company sells the majority of its tea in bulk through the weekly Chittagong Tea Auction to wholesale buyers, and markets retail-packaged consumer tea products including black tea, green tea, and the premium Shinrai Japanese Green Tea sub-brand through super shops and online retailers across Bangladesh.

Product overview

Finlay (The Consolidated Tea and Lands Company Bangladesh Limited) operates as a tea and agricultural company with two main product lines: Consumer Products and Trade Products sold under the Finlay Tea brand. The company produces approximately 16 million kg of tea annually (one-fifth of Bangladesh's production), including black tea, green tea, and the premium Shinrai Japanese Green Tea sub-brand. Additional agricultural products include rubber, timber, bamboo, and black pepper. Most tea is sold in bulk through the Chittagong Tea Auction in polypropylene woven bags.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shinrai: Japanese Green Tea brand launched in February 2021, marketed as immunity-boosting and rich in antioxidants. Available in 25 tea bag sachets pack and 150g loose tea pack.

Products and services

• Bulk Black Tea (Trade Products) Traditional black tea produced from Camellia sinensis plants on company-owned estates and sold in bulk to wholesale buyers through the Chittagong Tea Auction and direct trade channels. Represents the majority of Finlay's production volume (approximately 16 million kg annually).
• Consumer Tea Products

Quantifiable outcome

• Produces approximately 16 million kg of tea annually, representing one-fifth of Bangladesh's total tea production
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2021JICA and JETRO representatives attended the Shinrai Japanese Green Tea launch event. JETRO Country Representative Yuji Ando was present at the launch.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2021JICA Chief Representative Hayakawa Yuho attended the Shinrai Japanese Green Tea launch event, indicating support for Japanese technology transfer in tea cultivation.
• Bangladesh Tea BoardcoreOthers · 16 July 1949Regulatory body overseeing Bangladesh's tea industry. The Chittagong Tea Auction operates under its supervision along with Tea Traders Association of Bangladesh (TTAB) and Bangladesh Tea Association (BCS).
• Tea Traders Association of Bangladesh (TTAB)coreOthers · 16 July 1949Responsible for organizing and controlling the Chittagong Tea Auction to ensure swift and transparent sale of tea. Seven authorized tea brokers operate under TTAB.
• National BrokerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of seven authorized tea brokers under TTAB. One of the oldest tea brokers operating at Chittagong Tea Auction.
• Purba Bangla BrokerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of seven authorized tea brokers under TTAB. One of the oldest tea brokers operating at Chittagong Tea Auction.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McLeod Russel India: One of the largest tea plantation companies in India operating multiple estates and producing bulk and branded tea. Directly comparable to Finlay on integrated estate ownership, bulk auction sales, and tea processing operations.
• Ispahani Tea (Ispahani Group): Historic Bangladeshi conglomerate with a major tea division including own estates and consumer tea brands. A direct regional peer competing with Finlay in Bangladeshi retail tea and at the Chittagong Tea Auction.
• Dilmah: Sri Lanka-based vertically integrated tea producer and global premium tea brand. Comparable to Finlay on single-origin estate ownership, in-house processing, and branded consumer tea strategy including green and specialty varieties.
• Kazi & Kazi Tea: Bangladesh-based tea producer and brand operating its own gardens and retail products including green tea. The closest domestic competitor to Finlay, competing for share of Bangladesh's specialty and green tea segments.
• Duncan Brothers Tea (Bangladesh operations): Tea plantation owner and producer active in Bangladesh with estates in Sylhet region. Directly comparable to Finlay on estate ownership, bulk tea supply into Chittagong auctions, and competition for domestic market share.
• Abul Khair Tea (Abul Khair Group): Bangladeshi conglomerate with a tea division producing and trading tea domestically. Comparable to Finlay as a domestic competitor in bulk auction supply and as an emerging consumer tea brand.

Broad incumbents

• Tata Consumer Products (Tata Tea): India-headquartered tea major owning Tata Tea and Tetley brands with global distribution. Comparable as a vertically integrated tea producer and branded tea company, though materially larger and more diversified than Finlay.
• Brooke Bond (Unilever): Global tea brand portfolio (Brooke Bond, Lipton) under Unilever sourcing from South Asia. Comparable as a large incumbent in the same tea category that competes with Finlay on shelf and in sourcing markets.
• James Finlay & Co (Swire): Historic tea company with origins in the same Scottish group that founded Finlay's Bangladesh operations; now owned by John Swire & Sons and operating tea estates and ingredient extraction globally. Directly comparable on heritage and tea processing, though at much greater international scale.
• Twinings (Associated British Foods): Global premium tea brand owned by ABF, sourcing tea worldwide including from Bangladesh. Comparable as a branded tea player competing for the same health-conscious and specialty tea consumer that Finlay's Shinrai targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCH2pN7E79Qli6wYu-7HYuvg/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/finlaytea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finlaytea
• Instagraminstagram.com/finlaytea

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Finlay