With focus on luxury tea-inspired hospitality, Sri Lanka’s Dilmah group to launch Thambapanni in India

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The launch is a significant milestone in Dilmah’s renewed focus on India

Sri Lankan tea giant Dilmah group is set to foray in the Indian luxury market by launching Thambapanni, a luxury collection of Indian teas which will be available only to premium hotels in the country in the form of pyramid bags and loose leaf. “The idea is to launch tea-inspired hospitality, where tea will be paired with different foods for elevating the experience of the tea and the food, linking it to a holistic experience for the guest. We are looking at curating a wellness experience with the discovery of flavours. Our range will be for preventive health, wellness and great taste, along with a promise of kindness,” said Dilhan Fernando, chairperson and CEO of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company during an exclusive interaction with The Hindu in Mumbai.

The launch is a significant milestone in Dilmah’s renewed focus on India, with Thambapanni being introduced through a curated and hospitality-led distribution model. The collection will be available through select luxury hotels, speciality cafes and fine dining restaurants, the company said.

The tea range crafted exclusively for India blends single region Indian teas with specialised spices and herbs, and has taken over 12 months of tasting and refinement before being launched. The luxury pyramid tea bag collection consists of 13 flavours including Saffron Valley Kashmiri Kahwa, Alpine Meadow Chamomile Flowers, Night Jasmine Green Tea. The luxury loose leaf collection consists of four speciality teas, four infusions, five types of green teas, and seven types of black teas. The Monsoon Voyager Spice Tea, for example, is black tea with black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, fennel. The tone is bold with an ancient fusion of spices and tea.

“What we want to bring to India is a fresh perspective on tea. We see that there is receptiveness among consumers who are looking for flavour discovery, wellness, excitement, experiential dining. We want to create great taste, natural goodness with kindness,” Mr Fernando said. The teas will be offered as a combination of a meal consisting of several courses, where speciality teas will be paired with different foods like starters, salads, desserts, cheeses to bring out the flavour of the food as well as cleanse the palette.

Dilmah is currently working with several tea estates in India. They have roped in 26 growers of tea, herbs, and spices. They are slated to roll out their products in collaboration with luxury hospitality groups like IHG, Hilton, Accor and Marriot. These groups will introduce crafted tea pairings into their hotels and dining experiences. “We want Indian consumers to experience tea not merely as a beverage, but as an integral part of gastronomy and tea-inspired hospitality,” he said.

When asked about the early revenue and volume targets, the company said that there is no defined market since there is no precedence to this collection.

Sri Lankan family tea company Dilmah, founded by Merrill J.