Tata Consumer Products’ tea packaging unit at Gopalpur Industrial Park in the Indian state of Odisha is set to soon commence commercial production.

The unit is situated at the Tata Steel Special Economic Zone.

Tata Steel has set up a 55,000 TPA ferrochrome plant at Gopalpur Industrial park, which also has a defence manufacturing unit by Anadrone Systems Private Ltd defence manufacturing unit and East Coast Overseas Private Limited and Odimet Resources Private Ltd industries.

With an investment of Rs1bn ($13.38m), the unit is built over an area of 16 acres.

It has an annual production capacity of 60 million kilograms.

In a statement, Tata Consumer Products said: “Trial production has already commenced at the unit.”

The tea packaging unit will be operated by Tata Consumer Products’ associate firm Amalgamated Plantations.

Amalgamated Plantations is the second largest tea producer in India with a production capacity of around 40 million kilograms annually.

It is also one of the contract packers for Tata Consumer Products for their FMCG tea business.

Presently, Amalgamated operates three tea packing factories, two in the state of Assam and one in the state of West Bengal.

Earlier this month, Tata Consumer Products Limited (TCPL) announced that its subsidiaries in the US are divesting their entire stakes in Empirical Group and Southern Tea to joint venture (JV) partner Harris Tea Company.

The divestment is expected to aid TCPL to focus on its branded business in international markets.

Empirical sells white label tea and coffee to foodservice contract customers.

Southern Tea serves as a supplier to Harris Tea and TCPL that sells tea brands such as Good Earth.

Tata Consumer Products is a leading branded tea company globally.