Calcutta Tea Traders Association

What Calcutta Tea Traders Association does

Calcutta Tea Traders Association (CTTA) is India's oldest tea auction body, founded in 1861 and headquartered in Kolkata, where it has facilitated the physical trade of Indian tea for over 160 years. Its core function is to operate and govern the tea auction infrastructure connecting tea estates (sellers) with packeteers, blenders, and exporters (buyers), intermediated by licensed brokers and supported by affiliated warehouses. CTTA conducts regular scheduled sales, publishes sale programmes and circulars, maintains a member directory, and enforces CTTA Rules together with the Pan-India Auction Rules harmonized under the Tea Board of India.

CTTA's membership comprises approximately 500+ organizations: 174 buyers and 220+ associate buyers, 95 sellers and 164 associate sellers, 8 brokers, and 33 warehouses. Revenue is generated through recurring membership subscriptions and associated service fees from these member categories; CTTA does not disclose financial figures and operates as a not-for-profit trade association rather than a commercial enterprise. Governance is exercised through an elected committee with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman drawn alternately from buyer and seller member blocs — currently Mr Gopal Poddar (Chaizup Beverages LLP, buyer member) as Chairman and Mr Soumitra Roy (Luxmi Tea, seller member) as Vice-Chairman.

CTTA's technology stack is modest and administrative: a public website, member directory, circular/sale programme publishing, and coordination with the Tea e-Auction electronic auction platform operated under the Tea Board of India's framework. The association works alongside the Tea Board of India, the Indian Tea Association, FSSAI, and sister auction centers (GTAC, STAC) to maintain regulatory alignment, food safety compliance, and national auction harmonization. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and member-based, with new members onboarded via application and committee approval rather than commercial sales motion.

Name

Calcutta Tea Traders Association

Legal name

Calcutta Tea Traders Association

Website

https://calcuttateatradersassociation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1861

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Calcutta Tea Traders Association is India's oldest tea auction body, founded in 1861 and headquartered in Kolkata. It operates the Kolkata tea auction, connecting 500+ member estates, buyers, brokers, and warehouses under standardized auction rules.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tea Auction Services

NAICS

Commodity Contracts Intermediation (52316), Commodity Contracts Intermediation (523160), Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers (42512)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRADAHAD

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Tea

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Coffee, Tea, Soft Drinks, Water)

Keywords

• Tea auction services
• Trade association
• Tea trading platform
• Auction facilitation
• Industry membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kolkata

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CTTA generates revenue through membership fees from broker, buyer, seller, associate buyer, associate seller members, and registered warehouses. The association serves as the governing body for tea auctions in Kolkata.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CTTA is a trade association that facilitates tea auctions in Kolkata, connecting tea estates/plantations (sellers) with buyers through broker intermediaries under CTTA Rules and Pan-India Auction Rules. The association also maintains a member directory, publishes circulars and statistics, and administers the regulatory framework for tea trading in eastern India.

Product overview

Calcutta Tea Traders Association operates a tea auction platform and industry association serving the Indian tea trading ecosystem. The organization coordinates tea auctions under CTTA Rules and Pan-India Auction Rules, providing a member directory for brokers, buyers, and sellers, and publishes the CTTA Tea Digest. The association facilitates connections between tea plantations (seller members), buyer members, and broker members through organized circulars, statistics, and auction scheduling. It is the oldest tea auction body in India, with its first auction conducted on December 27, 1861.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tea Auction Services Core auction service facilitating tea transactions in India, operating under CTTA Rules and Pan-India Auction Rules, connecting tea sellers (plantations/estates) with buyer members through broker members via organized sale offerings and order of sale.
• Member Directory Online directory providing listings of broker members, buyer members, associate buyer members, seller members, associate seller members, and registered warehouses for the tea trading community.
• CTTA Tea Digest Published digest offering insights and information relevant to the tea trading industry and association members.
• Auction Statistics Service Statistical data and reports related to tea auctions and tea trading activities under the association, available to members through the CTTA website.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indian Tea AssociationcoreOthersRelated industry body for Indian tea industry. CTTA maintains a link to the Indian Tea Association website for industry coordination.
• Tea Board of IndiacoreOthersGovernment regulatory body for tea industry in India. CTTA coordinates with Tea Board for regulatory compliance and industry standards.
• Tea Research Association (Tocklai)minorOthersResearch body for tea cultivation and processing. CTTA maintains a link to Tea Research Association for technical coordination.
• Tea e-AuctioncoreTechnology or IntegrationElectronic auction platform for tea trading. CTTA works with Tea e-Auction for digital auction services and coordinates through Core Committee on E-Auctions.
• GTAC (Guwahati Tea Auction Centre)minorOthersTea auction center in Assam. CTTA maintains a link for industry coordination with other auction centers.
• Siliguri Tea Auction Committee (STAC)minorOthersRegional tea auction body in Siliguri. CTTA maintains coordination link for pan-India auction rules alignment.
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)minorOthersFood safety regulatory body. CTTA provides link for member compliance with food safety standards for tea trading.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX): India's largest listed commodity derivatives exchange. Comparable as an organized venue for commodity price discovery, though operating in a different regulatory and product universe than CTTA's physical tea auctions.
• National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX): Indian commodity derivatives exchange focused on agricultural commodities. Comparable to CTTA as an organized commodity market infrastructure entity facilitating price discovery, though operating in derivatives rather than physical auctions.

Others

• Indian Tea Association: Industry body representing tea producers in India. Directly comparable as a sister trade association in the Indian tea ecosystem, with overlapping membership and joint coordination with CTTA.
• Tea Board of India: Statutory government body under the Ministry of Commerce that regulates the Indian tea industry. CTTA coordinates with Tea Board on auction rules, licensing, and industry standards — a regulatory peer rather than competitor.
• J Thomas & Co Pvt Ltd: One of the oldest and largest tea broking firms in India and a broker member of CTTA. Comparable as an ecosystem participant facilitating transactions within CTTA's auction framework.

Regional players

• Bombay Tea Traders Association: Historical tea trade association in Mumbai. Comparable as a regional trade body in the Indian tea ecosystem, though smaller and less active than CTTA in current auction operations.
• Cochin Tea Trade Association: South Indian tea trade association based in Kochi serving Kerala/Tamil Nadu tea producers and traders. Comparable as a regional trade body for tea auctions but operating in a different geography than CTTA.

Emerging players

• Tea e-Auction (Tea Board of India): Government-operated electronic auction platform for tea trading. CTTA coordinates through its Core Committee on E-Auctions, and this platform represents the digital evolution of CTTA's traditional auction model.

Direct peers

• Siliguri Tea Auction Committee (STAC): Regional tea auction body for the Terai/Darjeeling region. Directly comparable to CTTA as another tea auction venue that coordinates with CTTA under PAN India Auction Rules.
• Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC): Tea auction center serving Assam/North-East India. Operates as a parallel regional auction venue to CTTA with similar broker/member structure and coordination on Pan-India Auction Rules.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calcutta-tea-traders-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Calcutta Tea Traders Association