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| Image Courtesy: ASSOCHAM |
Introduction
The legacy of Assam tea is not just about producing a world-famous drink. It tells a true story of hard work, family tradition, and business growth. Recently, well-known tea planter Bidyananda Barkakoty received the prestigious ASSOCHAM Legacy & Heritage Excellence Award 2026 for his family's long journey in this field. This award was given during the 1st Growth Driven Family Business Conclave held at Hotel Vivanta in Kolkata.
The chief guest of the function, West Bengal Finance Minister Dr. Swapan Dasgupta, handed over the trophy to him. This award appreciates Shri Barkakoty’s continuous efforts to keep alive and modernize his indigenous family business, which has been running for five generations in Assam.
The Grand Prestige of the ASSOCHAM Award
To understand the real value of this award, we need to know about ASSOCHAM. It is India's oldest and most respected business chamber. The main goal of this conclave was to honor multigenerational family businesses that help India's economy grow.
The Growth Driven Family Business Conclave focuses on those family businesses that act as the backbone of India's economy. In today's world, most family businesses face a lot of problems to survive after the third generation. In such a time, the Barkakoty family’s continuous five-generation work in the tea sector is a rare and great example of good business management.
The Pillars of History: Sarbananda Borkakoty’s Colonial Legacy
The story of the Barkakoty family’s connection with Assam tea started way back in the 19th century. This lineage goes back to Late Sarbananda Borkakoty, who was the great-great-grandfather of Bidyananda Barkakoty. During the British rule, the tea industry in Northeast India was fully controlled by British companies. Local Indian businessmen faced huge problems, a lack of money, and unfair treatment.
Despite all these big challenges, Sarbananda Borkakoty became one of the early Indian tea planters. He broke the British monopoly by starting local tea plantations with great courage. His early hard work built the foundation for local tea estate ownership in Assam. He proved that Indian planters could produce tea just as well as British companies.
Bridging Engineering and Tradition: The Journey of Bidyananda Barkakoty
Shri Bidyananda Barkakoty carried this huge historical responsibility into the modern world very successfully. Although he got a rich family tradition, he also brought a modern mindset to the field because he is a qualified Mechanical Engineer. Instead of doing a regular engineering job, he decided to use his technical knowledge to improve his family's tea business.
His deep practical knowledge of tea gardens and his good leadership qualities quickly brought him into top industry positions. Shri Barkakoty served as the Vice Chairman of the Tea Board of India, which works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He was also the Chairman of the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) and is currently working as the Advisor to NETA. Throughout his life, he has always supported small tea growers and better facilities for garden workers.
The Evolution and Future of Assam Tea
Assam produces more than half of India’s total tea, making it one of the biggest tea regions in the world. However, the tea industry now faces modern problems like climate change, new market demands, and ups and downs in global tea prices.
Experts believe that old tea estates can survive only by blending tradition with new ideas, just like the Barkakoty family does. By focusing on good quality, organic farming steps, and using modern machines in tea factories, old family businesses can easily stay strong in the global market.
A Humble Dedication to the Roots
When he received the beautiful trophy from ASSOCHAM, Shri Bidyananda Barkakoty showed great humility. In his speech, he did not take the credit for himself. Instead, he dedicated this big honor to the past generations of his family who worked before him.
He also shared this honor with the thousands of local tea growers, managers, and ordinary garden workers of Assam. He clearly said that the global name of Assam tea is built entirely on the daily hard work and sweat of these grassroot workers.
Conclusion
The ASSOCHAM Legacy & Heritage Excellence Award 2026 given to Bidyananda Barkakoty is not just a personal success; it is a proud moment for Assam's local entrepreneurship. As the tea business enters a new era of globalization, families like the Barkakotys show us the right path—to always respect our roots while moving forward into the future.