OUR History
Merchants of the Raj
It all began, when a Scottish man named Walter Duncan arrived in Calcutta to set up businesses under the name of Playfair Duncan & Co. In 1898, enchanted by the flourishing slopes of Darjeeling, Duncan set up a tea trading company in India. Back in the days, when snake charmers and elephant drawn carriages could be spotted around street corners, Walter set up Octavius Tea & Industries Ltd., on the profits of its sister concern Octavius Steel and Co.Ltd., during the British Raj. The company commenced with the cultivation of the ancient magical brew – tea in Darjeeling, across Dooars, Cachar & Sylhet. The company had a steady growth in the period between the two world wars
After independence, an Indian trading company, steeped in generations of business expertise, took up the reins of the company while still remaining under the original British flagship. Consequently, Octavius Teas combines respect for quintessential British tea with the Indian love for taste & flavour.
From one able leadership to another
In 2003 Octavius Teas changed ownership to the current management, a well - established Indian tea & coffee trader and export organization which has won many accolades and is a proud recipient of several awards instituted by the Ministry of Commerce as well as other trade bodies like Apeda and Federation of Indian Export Organization (FIEO) for excellence in exports.
When Coffee held hands with Tea
Encouraged by the success of the tea plantation in 2007, the company went on to acquire an excellent coffee plantation in Kushalnagar, Coorg along with a coffee curing unit. With full control over the plantation and manufacturing of tea and coffee, Octavius Teas was set up for one victory after another.
A lot more feathers in the cap
In 2016, Octavius added several wonderful new and brave brews including orthodox black and green teas in its range along with countless gifting options from elegant kettles to tasteful souvenirs. It also launched its coffee range in the retail market which was a huge success. The taste of our new coffee range was something for the competitors to watch out for! In addition to this, the company which was already well-established in the export field started getting noticeable attention in many eminent exhibitions for retailers in India and around the world. Octavius also opened doors to its elegant tea estates through its tea resorts so that the commoner could witness the beauty of tea manufacturing and get an experience of staying in quaint bungalows in the midst of lush tea gardens, truly an experience of a lifetime for tea enthusiasts.
