Letters to the Editor: Assam’s Matcha: Next Export Story?

Assam’s Matcha: Next export story?

Assam, globally known for its bold black tea, has entered the premium green tea market, marking a milestone in India’s tea history. Matcha was commercially produced for the first time in India, at the Chota Tingrai Tea Estate of the Tinsukia district of Assam, after nearly a decade of collaboration with Japanese experts, agronomists and manufacturers. The tea estate also adopted the traditional Japanese-style stone-grinding technology to develop authentic matcha production.

Through the Guwahati Auction Centre, it reportedly fetched around Rs 3,000 per kilogram in its initial auction, demonstrating strong interest in matcha. The premium price reflects the growing demand for the tea in both domestic and international markets. Assam produces more than half of India’s tea, making it the country’s largest tea-producing state. This new venture could reduce dependence on the traditional black tea. It could also increase the farmers’ income through premium pricing, create opportunities and encourage innovation in the tea industry through value-added products.

As matcha has become extremely popular worldwide because of its health benefits, social media trends and growing presence in cafes, most matcha consumed in India was imported from Japan until now. With the growing global demand for matcha among the young consumers, Assam has expanded its range of teas. Therefore, for a state long associated with black tea, matcha may be the start of an entirely new export story.

Krishnakhi Das

Gauhati University

Player of the

Match awards

In the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is now in its last stage, Argentina’s Lionel Messi has won 4 Player of the Match awards (since 2010, the voting for the player of the match has been in the hands of the fans; those who from half-time through to full-time of any given live match vote for the player they want to win the award. You can vote for any player who has featured in some capacity during the match. Fans can even edit their vote before full-time, should a later goal, outstanding save, or other form of key contribution take place. France’s Kylian Mbappé has won 3 Player of the Match awards, and Norway’s Erling Haaland has also won 3. Interestingly, the above-mentioned three players have been in sensational form, lighting up the tournament while keeping their respective teams in strong contention for the trophy.

Interestingly, no official cash prize is awarded by FIFA to the player who wins the Player of the Match award at the football World Cup. Instead, the selected player receives an iconic trophy sponsored by Budweiser, FIFA's official partner. Though there are three superstars leading in the so-called Player of the Match awards, we should not forget that these awards also coincide with a thrilling Golden Boot race, where Messi and Mbappé are leading the tournament scoring charts, though they are closely chased by Haaland. If I’m not mistaken, Kylian Mbappé, who won the Golden Boot award at Qatar 2022 thanks to his hat-trick in the final, is also expected to win it again in FIFA 2026.

Moreover, while individual match awards do not carry a direct cash bounty (like our IPL and other cricket matches), World Cup footballers still see substantial financial rewards, as the global stage heavily spikes a player's marketing value, leading to lucrative commercial deals.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee

(bkchatterjee9@gmail.com)