Tea Board to roll out new web-based auction platform from June 30

The Tea Board is set to launch a new web-based tea auction platform under the Build, Own and Operate (BOO) model, marking a significant transition in the conduct of tea auctions across the country.

Developed by Tradeforge Technologies Pvt Ltd, the new platform will go live in Kolkata for Sale No. 27, scheduled to be held on June 30 and July 2 in Coonoor.  

According to an advisory issued by the Tea Board, the portal will be extended to other auction centres from Sale No. 28 onwards.

The Board has informed stakeholders that catalogue uploads for Sale No. 27 and subsequent auctions will continue on the existing NSEIT portal until further instructions are issued. It has also sought the cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure a smooth rollout and successful migration to the new system.

The primary objective of this migration, according to the Tea Board, is to ensure a more user-friendly interface, improved security, and greater cost-effectiveness. However, it is clarified that the existing auction mechanism and core functional processes will remain unchanged.

Industry sources said the new platform is entirely web-based, unlike the application-based NSEIT system that has been in use for several years. A trial run of the portal is already underway, and the platform is expected to become fully operational online by the end of July, subject to user acceptance and ease of operation.

While the NSEIT platform had been functioning effectively, the government decided to introduce a new service provider for conducting tea auctions. As a result, Kolkata-based Tradeforge Technologies was selected to develop and operate the new auction platform, the sources said.

“We have been assured by the Tea Board that the proposed web-based platform will be a replica of the existing Bharat auction system and that the recommendations of the Ramachandran Committee will be implemented in a phased manner. Accordingly, we look forward to the migration to the web-based platform and hope that the enhanced transparency and efficiency of the system will lead to better price realisation for producers”, said Dhanjayan Krishnamurthy, president of The Nilgiri Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers Association.