About Us

Behind some of the leading tea plantations in South India has been one name Matheson Bosanquet or MB. For over 7 decades we have been managing tea plantations and offering our services as Plantation Advisors

Matheson Bosanquet started in the early 1920s and was originally christened as Estates and Agencies Ltd back in 1927 by Jardine Matheson of London. It was set up to manage and advise plantations in South India. The Matheson name came in 1950 when the company was appointed as the sole buying and shipping agent for Typhoo.

The company is backed by a trained team of professionals and agricultural graduates. A fully scientific and analytic approach is given to all key areas of field management, soil fertility, bush husbandry, pest and disease control, plucking policy etc, and each area is given equal emphasis.

As a result, our yields have been showing a consistent and marked increase. Besides, our Estates have bagged a number of Tea Board awards including those for the highest yield.

We have a proven consistent track record of producing fine and quality Orthodox and CTC tea as per our customer’s requirements. Our Tea Estates are internationally bench marked for quality and ethical standards. We endeavor to produce quality teas that consistently command respect, trust and loyalty from consumers through sustained efforts at maintaining world class standards, research and development in plantation and adoption of latest technology.

 Values

We endeavor to produce quality teas that consistently command respect, trust and loyalty from consumers through sustained efforts at maintaining world class standards, research and development in plantation and adoption of latest technology.

We strive to run a business that has a human face and we value our environment, our people, our product, our plantation practices and above all our customers.

Our mission is to have sustained growth through:

Adoption of modern plantation techniques and practices that enhance yield and quality.

Successful management of contingencies like drought and flood within the estates and with our grower associates.

Maintain consistent quality in all grades of tea produced at our estates.

To provide at all times reliable services to our existing and expanding customer base.

Include at all times opportunities for the workforce to experience a better life style.

We have established a Vocational Training Centre to impart training in vocational skills to our workers children including those from neighboring estates. Here they are taught spoken English, Hindi, Computers, Tailoring, and skills to enhance their personality, as well as coping skills in the work place. We also arrange placement in jobs after completion of training programs. In our continuous endeavor to improve, we have switched to the usage of environmentally friendly pesticides and banned the use of certain chemicals to eliminate even traces of harmful residue.

The same stringent quality controls are exercised in our factories whether they be traditional processes or those being replaced by modern machinery. As active participants of the Ethical Tea Partnership and Ethical Trading Initiative, we are totally committed to responsible business practices in our tea plantations and trading activities.

 “There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Letters and Social Aims

Alliance Certification

At our own Estate Level and also in partnership with our growers, we have received the Rain Forest Alliance CertificationWe are also Fair-Trade certified. The standard setting body, Fair traded Labeling Organization (FLO) International, through its certification body FLO-CERT GmbH, awards this certificate to global Plantations which qualify. Such a certification impacts favourably the quality of life of the garden workers, bringing to them a host of economic, social and environmental benefits. Both the tea estates also have ISO 22000-2005 certification. We have received the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certification for implementing a systematic preventive approach to safety throughout the tea cultivation and proceeding stages. Certifications Received: Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, ISO, HACCP, Gold Leaf Award (Year after year)

Brief Profile of the Board of Directors and Key Management People


Chairman

Mr. Bimal Poddar

Mr. Poddar joined the family business at the young age of 19 years in 1961. He steered the Group actively for over two decades till 1996. Thereafter, he has been the guide and mentor. He also serves on the Boards of several Indian corporates. Varied experience in the spheres of finance, administration & general management. Widely travelled throughout the world on business visits.

Managing Director

Mr. Abhishek Poddar

Abhishek Poddar is a businessman and a prominent collector and patron of the arts in India. He is involved in various family group companies with diverse interests ranging from trading and export, to tea, industrial explosives, travel and retail. Poddar also serves on the advisory committees of several cultural institutions including the Deccan Heritage Foundation and FIND (Foundation Inde-Europe de Nouveaux Dialogues or the India-Europe Foundation for New Dialogues) headquartered in Rome.


Director

Mrs. Radhika Poddar

Radhika Poddar is a patron of Indian art and design and has been an important part of the formation of the Museum of Art & Photography and the documentation of its core collection. She is involved in the running of various family group companies, as well as being the vision behind Cinnamon, a lifestyle store with branches in Cochin and Bangalore. Through Cinnamon, she promotes Indian design by retailing and commissioning collections by traditional craftspeople, as well as contemporary Indian designers.

Director

Mr. N. Ramanathan

Professional expertise in diverse disciplines of Finance, Taxation, Accounts and General Management.


Advisor

Mr. B.K. Sarronwala

An Engineering Graduate with over 50 years of experience in business. His expertise lies in the areas of tea cultivation manufacturing and marketing. He has also served on various trade associations and bodies. He brings with him extensive knowledge in administration, strategy and business management.

CFO & Company Secretary

Mr. S.R. Kalyanam

Mr. Kalyanam is a fellow member of the Institute of company secretaries of India, and an associate member of the Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India. He has vast experiences in the areas of audit, accounts, taxation and finance.

President

Mr. Ashish Rozario

Ashish brings with him over 30 years of experience on the Plantations, manufacturing, Packing and Blending as well as Trading and Exports.