Silverback Tea Company

What Silverback Tea Company does

Silverback Tea Company operates the data subject as Luxmi Tea (also branded as Luxmi Estates / Luxmi Group), a privately held Indian-origin tea producer and consumer brand founded in 1912 by PC Chatterjee as an Indian self-reliance movement against the British-dominated tea industry. The company owns and operates 25 tea estates spanning approximately 50,000 acres across India's Assam, Bengal, and Tripura regions — including the flagship Makaibari Darjeeling estate — and Rwanda in East Africa, employing roughly 25,000 skilled artisan workers who hand-pluck tea leaves. Production covers green, black, white, and functional blends (Sleep, Stress, Digestion, Detox, Energy, Immunity), sold in both loose-leaf and tea-bag formats, with an estate-graded portfolio marketed under named origins (Makaibari, Assam, Gisovu/Rwanda, Narayanpur, Dirai, Manu Valley).

The business operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market through owned e-commerce storefronts (luxmitea.in, luxmiestates.in, plus estate-specific sites such as Narayanpur) and physical estate shops; no third-party retail or distribution partnerships are disclosed. Revenue is generated via one-time product sales and a newly introduced subscription service for recurring home delivery. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent, subsidiaries, institutional investors, leadership, or funding rounds, and no revenue figures are reported; its office-corporate headcount is 11, distinct from the 25,000 estate workforce.

The technical stack is undisclosed beyond Shopify-based e-commerce; no app, API, AI/ML capabilities, integrations, patents, or certifications beyond an internal MRL residue-verification standard were identified. Brand is the principal asset: Makaibari was likened to 'Krug' champagne by Time Magazine (2008), became the most expensive tea in India in 2014 (per Times of India), and Rwanda estate tea achieved the highest premium price at the 2019 Mombasa Tea Auction — collectively supporting a premium price-positioning relative to commodity tea peers.

Name

Silverback Tea Company

Website

https://luxmigroup.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Silverback Tea Company (operating as Luxmi Tea) is a privately held Indian-origin tea producer and consumer brand, founded in 1912, that owns 25 estates across 50,000 acres in India (Assam, Bengal, Tripura) and Rwanda, selling green, black, white, and functional teas directly to consumers through owned e-commerce storefronts and a subscription service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Tea

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Premium tea estate
• Loose leaf tea
• Functional tea blends
• Tea subscription service
• Single origin tea

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tea Product Sales: Revenue generated from direct sale of tea products across multiple varieties (green, black, white, functional teas) in loose leaf and tea bag formats through owned e-commerce platforms and estate-specific shops.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Silverback Tea Company (Luxmi Tea) produces and sells premium single-origin and blended teas cultivated across 25 owned estates in India (Assam, Bengal, Tripura) and Rwanda. The portfolio spans green, black, white, and functional health teas in loose leaf and tea bag formats, plus a recurring tea subscription service, sold direct-to-consumers through owned e-commerce platforms and estate-based physical tea shops.

Product overview

Luxmi Tea is a century-old tea company operating 25 estates across India's Assam, Bengal, Tripura regions and Rwanda in Africa. The product portfolio spans core tea types (Green, Black, White, Functional), available in both Loose Leaf and Tea Bag formats. The company offers a range of Functional-Teas targeting specific health benefits: Sleep (Valerian), Stress (Ashwagandha), Digestion, Detox, Energy, and Immunity (Turmeric). Tea products are also organized by estate origin: Makaibari Darjeeling, Rwanda Estate, Assam Estate, and Narayanpur. The company sells directly through its e-commerce platforms (luxmitea.com and luxmiestates.in) and offers a subscription service for recurring deliveries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Tea
• Black Tea
• White Tea
• Functional Tea Blends
• Loose Leaf Tea
• Tea Bags
• Makaibari Darjeeling Tea

Quantifiable outcome

• Rwanda tea achieved highest premium price at Mombasa Tea Auction
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yogi Tea: Functional tea brand built around Ayurvedic botanicals (Turmeric, Ashwagandha, etc.) with US-wide retail and DTC distribution. Comparable to Luxmi's functional blends in ingredient philosophy and wellness positioning.
• Dilmah: Family-owned Sri Lankan tea company founded in 1988 with vertically integrated estate-to-cup operations and strong brand-led premium positioning. Closest direct analog to Luxmi — single-family ownership, single-origin estates, premium DTC and global retail distribution.
• Republic of Tea: US-based premium tea company with a strong functional/wellness tea portfolio (Sleep, Relax, Brain Boost) and subscription model. Comparable in DTC execution, functional blend depth, and premium consumer positioning.
• Harney & Sons: US-based premium tea company blending and packing estate-sourced teas, primarily DTC through harney.com. Comparable in premium positioning, blend-driven product portfolio, and DTC-led go-to-market.

Broad incumbents

• Bigelow Tea: US family-owned premium tea company with a broad portfolio of black, green, herbal, and functional teas sold through grocery and DTC. Comparable as a privately held, multi-generational premium tea brand.
• Mariage Frères: French luxury tea house established in 1854, known for estate-sourced and blended premium teas sold through boutique retail and DTC. Comparable as a long-heritage, premium-priced, blend-driven tea brand with global consumer reach.
• T2 Tea: Australia-origin premium tea retailer now owned by Unilever, blending estate teas and selling through owned boutiques and DTC. Comparable in premium blend-led positioning and experiential retail store model.
• Tata Tea (Tata Consumer Products): India's largest tea company, operating across multiple tea estates and brands including Tata Tea, Tetley, and Chakra Gold. Comparable as a fellow Indian heritage tea producer with estate ownership, though far larger and more diversified into other beverages.
• Twinings: Iconic British tea brand (est. 1706) with broad global distribution across black, green, and flavored teas. Comparable as a long-heritage packaged tea brand competing in many of the same retail aisles.

Regional players

• Goodricke Group: India-based tea company operating 18+ estates in Darjeeling, Assam, and the Dooars, producing premium packaged and bulk tea. Comparable as a regional Indian estate operator in overlapping growing regions, though more B2B/bulk oriented.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LuxmiTea
• Instagraminstagram.com/luxmitea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/silverback-tea-company

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Silverback Tea Company