Teaching the Art of Tea

The first global tea artist from India, teaching the art of making and drinking fine tea, Susmita Das Gupta talks about her mission to make Indian specialty tea reach a global audience.

- Susmita Das Gupta

Tea artist Susmita Das Gupta has been conducting sensorial tea appreciation and tea pairing workshops for almost a decade across India. In 2021, she introduced tea appreciation classes with a top hotel management institute in India to infuse interest in tea and create tea sommeliers to meet the growing global needs.

A keen tea traveller, she organizes Tea Trails (tea tourism) programs with some of the iconic tea gardens in India. She is also the organizer of the Tea Festival India (www.teafestivalindia.com) held at JW Marriott, Bangalore, bringing Indian premium and specialty teas under one roof.

Appointed as the Official Tea Artist and Tea Blogger for Paris-based AVPA's Teas of the World Contest in July 2018, in 2020, she became the first Indian speaker at the Nomad Tea Festival Europe, and in 2022 for the Nomad Tea Festival, Australia.

She is also the founder of Tea with Susmita (www.teawithsusmita.com) a platform to introduce and promote specialty Indian tea to discerning global tea drinkers and is certified in Tea Sensory Appreciation and Tea Blending, from La-quintessence, Paris. Part of the Indian Chamber of Commerce's Tea Committee to promote Indian tea to a global audience, she tells us all about her current passion - the Indian School of Tea, her love for tea and more...

What was the trigger behind starting the Indian School of Tea?

The Indian School of Tea (IST) is the first of its kind educational and skill enhancement institution dedicated to comprehensive training and certification of individuals and teams in the realm of Indian tea. IST offers specialized programs on various aspects of tea, its art, culture and business. It is a premier hub for advancing expertise and proficiency in Indian tea cultivation, culture, production, appreciation, etiquette and marketing.