 In
the spring of 2000 over an extended lunch in Kathmandu three
people who had been together in the same school in Darjeeling
in the 1970's and 1980's decided to look into the possibility
of establishing a tea estate with a difference somewhere in
east Nepal. One of them had extensive experience in the tea
sector having trained for two years in Darjeeling and having
worked for about 10 years in Darjeeling and another 7 years
in Nepal. The other two had no experience in tea business but
had copious experience in various other businesses from travel
trade, hotels and electronic components manufacturing: from
establishing new businesses in Nepal to marketing their products
in Europe, Asia and North America.
Braving landslides, leeches and long distances during the
monsoons, over the next months of 2000 and into 2001 extensive
reconnaissance missions were undertaken to remote parts of
East Nepal: from remote Taplejung down to Panchthar on to
more accessible Ilam districts on one hand; Dhankuta, Sankuwashabha,
Terathum and Bhojpur districts on the other. Errors as well
as good business practices of other tea gardens were studied
and imbibed.
The outcome was the establishment, in 2001, of a small and
exclusive tea garden spread over 75 hectares in three divisions
over hills around the small town of Hile in Dhankuta district
of the eastern Himalayan region of Nepal.
|
