Akbar Brothers emerges as world’s second largest tea exporter

Brews record Rs. 24 b export performance in 2010 accounting for 15% of industry total and 73% in value added form; Group contributes 2.8% to overall exports from

Sri Lanka

Akbar Brothers has emerged as the largest marketer of Ceylon tea products in the world. 

During the year ended December 2010, the Akbar Brothers Group exported 47.8 million kilogrammes of tea worldwide, generating foreign exchange earnings of Rs. 24 billion. This phenomenal growth ranks Akbar Brothers as the second largest tea export company in the world, next to Unilever Kenya. In 2009, Akbar Brothers exports amounted to 42.3 million kilos

The Akbar Brothers Group is run by the fifth generation of the Akbar Family in the tea trade, spanning over 140 years.

 It is the largest trader of Ceylon teas in the world market with a presence in over 80 countries and accounts for 15% of Sri Lanka’s total tea exports. In 2010, Akbar Brothers tea exports consisted of 73% in value-added tea products in the form of teabags and tea packets.

The Group has won several awards for outstanding export performance, including Presidential Export Awards for the Best Sri Lankan Brand Exporter and Exporter to the Largest Number of Destinations.

“The rapid expansion and growth of business have been due to the strategic change in policy direction to move away from being a commodity trader to become the marketer of value-added branded tea products,” Akbar Brothers Group Chairman Abbas Akbarally said.

“The aggressive pursuit of this policy change coupled with the Company’s focus on quality, innovation and modern technology, have been some of the key factors to the growth of our business,” he added.

According to Akbarally, today some 65 million cups of Akbar Teas are consumed on a daily basis across the world. Ninety eight percent of Akbar exports consists of pure Ceylon teas and all its tea brands are 100% pure Ceylon tea, he added.