Assam’s tea industry is one of the oldest and most recognizable in the world. Yet, behind its global reputation lies a manufacturing process that has barely changed in decades. Most factories still rely on coal and gas, and the technology used to process tea has remained largely unchanged for over 80 years. As conversations around sustainability and clean energy grow louder, the question of how Assam’s tea sector can modernize has become urgent.It is in this space that Deroi Innovations, founded by Sudarshan Deka and Surjya Prakash Borthakur, has begun to make its mark.From engineers to tea makersSurjya trained as an electronics engineer before moving into tea. That technical background stayed with him, and he “developed and designed the machines that manufacture tea”.After graduation, both partners felt Assam’s tea ecosystem needed change. “The technology that was used in Assam tea manufacturing is outdated,” Surjya explains. “It has been used for more than 80 years.”Their innovation was to eliminate coal and gas from the process. “We eliminated the most common fuel being used in tea manufacturing, coal or gas, so that it becomes more sustainable,” he says. “We created the technology so as to process tea at a very lower temperature… Read MoreYourStory RSS Feed
