For the first time in its century-long history, B&A Ltd has ventured into the retail sector with its ‘Gatoonga’ brand of black tea, a top company official announced. The brand debuted in Assam, as the company aims to establish a strong presence in its home state before expanding to other regions of the country, according to B&A Ltd Managing Director Somnath Chatterjee.
“The company’s entry into the retail sector began with the ‘Gatoonga’ brand, targeting the Assam market first. It plans to gradually expand across India, following a demand-driven growth strategy,” he said.
B&A Ltd Deputy Managing Director Dhruba Jyoti Dowerah stated that the company’s parent group previously had four verticals, with retail branding now becoming the fifth.
The current verticals include tea manufacturing and processing, packaging, tea tourism, and broking.
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Originally established in 1915 as Barasali Tea firm Ltd., B&A Ltd. is the publicly traded flagship firm of the INR 300-crore Barooahs & Associates Group.
The company currently operates 11 tea estates in upper Assam and produced 5.5 million kilograms of black tea last year.
Chatterjee announced that the Group has initiated a INR 50-crore capital expenditure plan for a pan-India growth strategy. As part of this plan, it recently acquired the Moheema tea estate in Golaghat district.
He mentioned that this marks the company’s first acquisition in over six decades.
“In a landmark move after six decades, the B&A Group has crafted a roadmap for a pan-India growth strategy, encompassing new acquisitions and expansion into the branded retail tea market. Over the next seven years, the company plans to invest approximately INR 50 crore as a pivotal component of its growth strategy,” he elaborated.
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