Calls for India to declare tea a national drink
Following in the footsteps of the UK and China, a tea association in India is urging the country to embrace tea as its national beverage. In order to achieve that, the local government of Assam, which produces half of India's tea, is encouraged to declare tea its state drink. Assam is the largest area under tea plantation in the world and its tea industry is the largest employer of women in the region. Tea plantations in Assam hire approximately a million people throughout the year. As a country, India is the biggest consumer of tea in the world and absorbs around 80% of its total output. According to the proponents of the issue, a drink can become a national drink because of its wide popularity, cultural heritage or local production. It also forms a nations identity and self-image.