ACTIVITIES OF NTRF

Research and Development

NTRF operates in liase with Tea Board India for supporting innovative research on all aspects of tea from cultivation to manufacture to socio-economics to consumption to human health effects of tea. Benefits accrued out of the investments of Corpus fund are provided for worthwhile high quality research on tea.

The main criteria for research support by NTRF

1. The project must be innovative, not routine, in the areas where research could be fruitful for Indian tea industry at large with some societal values.
2. The project must have some practical use in terms of enhancing growth, productivity, processing and quality of tea and towards establishing health and other beneficial aspects of Indian tea.
3. Research in genetics, plant development, molecular biology, enzymology, biotechnology, flavour biochemistry, production engineering, medical attributes of tea, besides socio-economics and management, machinery developments, application of electronics forms the core of fund support.
4. Partner Research Institutions should be

•     Recognized by DSIR, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, as National Research Institutes and possessing in house      basic recognized research infrastructure as well equipped laboratory and scientists.
•      xempted U/S 35 (1) (ii)/(iii) of Income Tax Act 1961.

The activities of NTRF other than funding research projects:

1. Collection of data from NTRF projects to develop protocol for recommendations for enhancing productivity, quality and human health aspects of tea.
2. Collation of research findings pertaining to improvement of quality and yield of tea, and their commercialization.
3. Publication of research reports and reviews.
4. Publication of Quarterly News Bulletin, Annual Scientific Report in which research data generated under NTRF funded projects at different institutions are documented.
5. Organizing seminars and workshops, including publications of their proceedings.
6. Interacting with tea producers and research institutions the world over to identify research problems relevant to the activities of NTRF.

Research Support
NTRF stresses Inter-disciplinary researches in tea, especially those covering the border line areas between botany and physiology, biochemistry and biotechnology, enzymology and flavours, pest plant interactions. Research is also carried out with partner institutes for non-conventional approaches with potentials to solve high profile problems like high water table, bio-management of pests and diseases, integrated nutrition management, identifying quality base of tea using electronic means and socio-economic aspects of tea garden workers.