B & A

What B & A does

B & A Limited is a publicly listed (BSE: 508136) Indian tea cultivation and manufacturing company, originally incorporated as Barasali Tea Company in 1915 in Assam and re-founded by Late Hemendra Prasad Barooah in 1950. The company operates eight tea estates — Barasali, Gatoonga, Kuhum, Mokrung, Salkathoni, Samaguri, Sangsua and Moheema (the last acquired January 2024) — located in the Golaghat, Jorhat and Sibsagar districts of Assam's 'South Bank' quality belt, alongside three operating state-of-the-art CTC processing centres (Gatoonga, Salkathoni, Mokrung) and a fourth upcoming at Sangsua. Its core product is CTC (Crush, Tear and Curl) black tea, produced via withering, rotorvane processing, controlled fermentation and VFBD drying, with a stated annual output of approximately 5.5 million kgs that consistently ranks in the Top 10 batting Order at India's public tea auctions.

The company's commercial model has historically been sales-led and auction-driven: the bulk of CTC tea is sold through public auction centres, primarily the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre where its own subsidiary Assam Tea Brokers was the founding broker. From March 31, 2024 B & A extended into branded packaged retail with the 'Gatoonga' consumer tea line, initially in the Assam market with stated phased expansion across India, supported by a dedicated mobile app. Beyond tea, the group operates adjacent subsidiaries: B&A Packaging India Ltd. (paper sacks for tea and industrial producers), Heritage North East Pvt. Ltd. (boutique heritage hospitality) and Kaziranga Golf Club Pvt. Ltd. (18-hole championship golf resort at Sangsua Tea Estate). Tea trade buyers and bulk auction customers remain the primary customer segment, with consumer retail and high-end leisure tourism forming smaller, higher-margin diversification legs.

B & A is family-controlled (Barooah promoter group holds ~59.47% of shares) and is professionally managed with a majority independent board. Revenue is not explicitly disclosed in the available material; production volume and Indian CTC auction pricing benchmarks imply a likely annual revenue band in the USD 10-25M range, supplemented by packaging, broking, hospitality and resort income from the subsidiary entities.

Name

B & A

Legal name

B & A Limited

Website

https://barooahs.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

B & A Limited is a BSE-listed Assam tea company that cultivates and manufactures CTC black tea across eight estates, selling primarily through Indian public auctions and, since March 2024, through its 'Gatoonga' branded retail line and adjacent subsidiaries in packaging, broking, heritage hospitality and golf resort operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tea Manufacturing

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)

Keywords

• Black tea production
• CTC tea manufacturing
• Tea cultivation
• Packaged retail tea
• Tea auction sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Kolkata

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tea Production and Auction Sales: The company produces approximately 5.5 million kgs of super quality black tea annually from its tea gardens and outsourced purchases. Most of its produce is distributed through auction sales domestically. Tea produced from own tea leaves consistently ranks in the 'Top 10 batting Order' at the country's public auctions.
2. Packaged Retail Tea: The company launched branded retail tea in packaged form under the brand 'Gatoonga' named after its coveted tea estate. The retail foray began on March 31, 2024, starting with Assam retail market and planned phased expansion across India.
3. Leisure Tourism: The company has diversified into leisure tourism business by utilizing its historical bungalows amidst gardens and the Kaziranga Golf Resort located at Sangsua Tea Estate. The resort features 14 colonial style cottages, a club house, premium suite, conference hall and wellness SPA.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

B & A Limited cultivates and manufactures CTC (Crush, Tear and Curl) black tea across eight quality tea estates in Assam's prime quality belt on the South Bank, producing approximately 5.5 million kgs annually. The company's tea is primarily distributed through domestic auction sales, with most produce consistently ranking in the Top 10 batting Order at India's public auctions. The company recently launched branded retail packaged tea under the 'Gatoonga' brand and also operates leisure tourism through the Kaziranga Golf Resort.

Product overview

B & A Limited is a tea cultivation and manufacturing company operating through eight quality tea estates in Assam's prime quality belt on the 'South Bank' region. The company produces approximately 5.5 million kg annually of CTC black tea, which has earned 'Top 10 batting Order' status at India's public auctions. In March 2024, the company launched its first consumer packaged product - 'Gatoonga' branded retail tea - expanding from bulk auction sales into direct retail. The company also operates leisure tourism through the Kaziranga Golf Resort at Sangsua Tea Estate. The product portfolio comprises the core tea cultivation and processing operations, the new Gatoonga packaged tea brand, and hospitality services through the golf resort.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gatoonga: Branded retail tea launched in packaged form under the brand 'Gatoonga', named after the coveted Gatoonga Tea Estate which ranked number 1 in all India Batting Order for CTC teas in auctions for three consecutive years. Retail foray began on 31st March 2024 starting with Assam retail market.

Products and services

• Black Tea (CTC Tea)

Quantifiable outcome

• Gatoonga Tea Estate ranked #1 in all India Batting Order for CTC teas in auctions for three consecutive years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moheema Tea Estate SellerscoreOthers · 25 January 2024B & A Limited acquired Moheema Tea Estate on January 25, 2024. It is a 150 years old garden located approximately 27 km from Jorhat City and 17 km from Golaghat, Assam. The estate is planted with best Tea Bushes (Jaat) TV1, TV23, TV17 and TS520 which provide the best quality tea leaves in the nearby district. Moheema Tea Estate is one of the finest tea leaf production estates since 1971.
• Korsnas Paper Sacks Ltd, U.K.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986B&A Packaging India Ltd. (BAPIL) was promoted by Late HP Barooah during 1986 in collaboration with Korsnas Paper Sacks Ltd, U.K to diversify into tea packaging business. The company manufactures wide ranges of paper sacks under the brand name 'Baggage' for tea producers, carbon black manufacturers and other industrial producers. Recently also ventured into flexible laminate business. Manufacturing facility located in Balasore, Odisha with corporate office at Kolkata. This subsidiary is also listed on Bombay Stock Exchange.
• Guwahati Tea Auction CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1970Assam Tea Brokers was promoted and incorporated by Late HP Barooah on April 24th, 1970. The company was instrumental in the birth of the world's largest CTC Auction Centre – the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC). The 1st ever Lot of Tea 'hammered' at GTAC was by Assam Tea Brokers. The company launched its Kolkata unit in April 2006 and provides service and guidance of the highest quality for broking needs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tata Consumer Products (Tata Tea): India's largest branded tea company with Tata Tea, Tetley and Kanan Devan brands; also operates KDHP plantations in the same South Indian tea belt. Comparable as a vertically integrated tea producer moving aggressively into branded packaged tea, directly overlapping with B & A's Gatoonga retail ambition.
• Wagh Bakri Tea Group: One of India's largest packaged tea brands, particularly strong in western India, with growing national distribution. Comparable as a branded tea competitor that B & A's Gatoonga retail brand must compete with for shelf space and consumer mindshare.
• Hindustan Unilever (Brooke Bond / Lipton): Markets the country's most distributed packaged tea brands (Brooke Bond Red Label, Taj Mahal, Lipton Yellow Label) with national retail reach. Comparable to B & A's Gatoonga push as the dominant mass-market competitor the new retail brand must displace.

Direct peers

• Rossell Tea & Industries: Listed Indian tea company operating multiple Assam estates including Typhoo-licensed processing; produces both bulk and branded tea. Comparable as a similarly sized Assam-focused peer also pursuing branded retail alongside auction sales.
• Dhunseri Tea & Industries: Listed Indian tea plantation company with multiple Assam estates producing CTC and orthodox teas for auction and bulk buyers. Comparable as a similarly sized, listed, plantation-led peer pursuing both bulk and branded tea strategies.
• Jayshree Tea & Industries (Birla group): Major Indian tea plantation company with significant Assam and Darjeeling estates producing CTC and orthodox teas. Comparable as a similarly diversified listed tea producer with overlapping cultivation footprint and auction distribution model.
• Kanan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP): Worker-owned tea plantation company operating large estates in Munnar; produces CTC teas sold via auction and Tata Consumer Products partnership. Comparable as a similarly structured plantation-led producer with both bulk and branded exposure.
• McLeod Russel India: Historically India's largest bulk tea producer with extensive Assam and Dooars estates. Most direct peer in scale and business model - bulk CTC tea cultivation and auction sales - making it the cleanest comp for B & A's core plantation and auction business.
• Goodricke Group (Camellia Plc subsidiary): Listed Indian tea company operating multiple estates in Assam, Darjeeling and Dooars producing CTC and orthodox teas. Comparable as a similarly scaled, multi-estate Assam-anchored peer selling through auction channels and select branded retail.

Regional players

• Harrisons Malayalam: South India-focused plantation major (RPG group) producing tea and rubber in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Comparable as a listed Indian plantation peer operating under similar cost structures (labour, weather, commodity cycles), though geographically distinct from B & A's Assam footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b-a-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 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 B & A