Kolkata, Aug 26 (Reporter) From being the first Indian tea estate during the British Raj to delighting customers across the world, Luxmi Estates' teas now reach tea lovers in multiple countries through Amazon Global Selling. In its latest campaign, ‘India se Duniya Tak,’ Amazon Global Selling features Rudra Chatterjee, Head of the century-old family business, showcasing their journey and brand that is rooted in heritage. Since its launch in India in 2015, Amazon Global Selling has been helping Indian businesses of all sizes export their products through its international marketplaces, effectively reducing barriers for entrepreneurs eager to start or scale their export operations. According to Bhupen Wakankar, Director Global Trade at Amazon India, "Launched nearly a decade ago, Amazon Global Selling empowers Indian entrepreneurs to build thriving export businesses through e-commerce. It's remarkable to see thousands of these businesses not only establishing globally recognized brands but also introducing Indian products to international customers. We're making significant investments in technology to streamline the export process, making it more accessible for businesses of all sizes. Our goal is ambitious yet clear: facilitating $20 billion in cumulative e-commerce exports from India by 2025.” The brand started by Kolkata-based PC Chatterjee as a small tea estate in Tripura over a century ago has today become a global brand synonymous with premium Indian teas. Luxmi Estates' exquisite blends are savoured by discerning connoisseurs across the world. “My grandfather, PC Chatterjee, and his 3 brothers were freedom fighters; they were part of an organisation called Anushilan Samiti whose members included the likes of Bhagat Singh. Together, they started this company in 1912 as all the tea estates back then were British-owned. Over time, Luxmi Estates grew, and today, we have 21 tea estates—of which, four are in Rwanda, one in Darjeeling, one in Tripura (Luxmi’s first), and the rest in Assam. I lived in the U.S. until 2007, where I studied, and then worked with a management consulting firm. I later joined the family business, a decision driven partly by my love for the outdoors as I now get to work on all our estates across the world,” says Rudra Chatterjee, Head of Luxmi Tea. The pandemic led the family-run estate, which predominantly sold via auctions and retailed in Kolkata, to begin selling on Amazon in India and across the world. Today the U.S. is their biggest market accounting for 70 percent of their sales via Amazon, apart from orders in Singapore and Canada. While discussing his Amazon journey, Rudra Chatterjee says, “Despite some of our teas being quite popular in India, they were not easily available everywhere. For instance, our Makaibari tea was available in Kolkata but not anywhere else. When the pandemic hit in 2020, we had a lot of customer queries on where to find our teas. That is when I decided to give online selling a shot with Amazon. We understand everything about tea—we taste it and package it while Amazon understands selling and distribution—the partnership works great and has been quite seamless. We now make Rs 1.5 to 2 crore in sales via Amazon monthly. The U.S. is our biggest market on Amazon accounting for 70 percent of our online sales. We see sale numbers shooting up to 3x during Amazon sale events such as Prime Day.” So popular are their teas that in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted the Makaibari tea, from one of Luxmi's most popular Darjeeling estates to Queen Elizabeth II during his state visit to the UK. Steeped in history and rooted in tradition, Luxmi Estate’s teas are now gracing tables from Darjeeling to Buckingham Palace. “Our products are also very popular in Japan—we have a variety called Tokyo Green to make it more relevant there. There's a herb called Valerian, which is very good for sleep; our tea with Valerian root and chamomile is called Valerian Dream for that very reason. While we have these quirky names, we are also a brand rooted in heritage as we have existed for more than 100 years now. Tea-consuming habits like drinking black tea with masala or green tea with turmeric have existed for generations. We want to honour and sustain these traditions through the tea blends we create.” he said...////...