Tocklai Tea Research Institute

Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Cinnamara, Jorhat, Assam, is the world's oldest and largest tea research institute, established in 1911. Operated by the Tea Research Association, it is located on the outskirts of Jorhat, the tea capital of Assam. The institute is notable for pioneering research on tea cultivation, processing and varietal development, housing extensive experimental tea gardens, laboratories, a library and a small tea museum documenting the history of Assam tea.

Visitors can expect a campus with experimental tea gardens, research laboratories, a library and a small museum displaying historical tea-processing equipment, photographs and documents related to Assam tea. Guided tours, where permitted, cover tea cultivation plots, clonal varieties and processing demonstrations. The setting is a quiet, green research estate on the outskirts of Jorhat, with administrative buildings, nurseries and field plots. Access is regulated and visits are typically by prior permission.

Established in 1911 as the Scientific Department of the Indian Tea Association at Tocklai, it is recognized as the oldest tea research station in the world. It was created to provide scientific support to the expanding tea industry in Assam and Northeast India. Over decades it developed high-yielding clonal tea varieties, improved cultivation and manufacturing practices, and became the central research body for the Tea Research Association.

The institute is central to Assam's tea culture and identity as the tea capital of India. It documents and preserves the heritage of Assam tea through its museum, archives and experimental gardens, and supports the livelihood and traditions associated with tea cultivation in the region.