Vice-President of India Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan is scheduled to visit Tamil Nadu on September 21, 2026, where he will attend the centenary conference of the United Planters’ Association of Southern India Tea Research Foundation (UPASI TRF) in Coonoor, The Nilgiris. He will participate in the event as the Chief Guest, marking a significant occasion for South India’s tea research and plantation sector.
The centenary conference celebrates 100 years of scientific research and institutional support provided by UPASI TRF to the tea industry. Established in October 1926 as the Tea Experimental Station at Gudalur, the institution has grown into a major research organisation serving tea producers and stakeholders across southern India.
Over the decades, UPASI TRF has played an important role in supporting the scientific development of tea cultivation. Its research activities have focused on addressing challenges faced by tea plantations and improving knowledge and practices related to the crop. The foundation’s long association with the industry reflects the evolution of tea research in the southern region and its contribution to plantation-based economies.
The centenary event in Coonoor is expected to bring together representatives of the tea industry, researchers, scientists, plantation organisations and other stakeholders. The occasion will provide an opportunity to reflect on the foundation’s century-long journey while discussing emerging priorities for the tea sector.
Tea remains an important plantation crop in southern India, with the Nilgiris and other tea-growing regions contributing significantly to domestic production and livelihoods. Research institutions such as UPASI TRF have traditionally served as a bridge between scientific research and field-level requirements, helping growers respond to changing agricultural conditions and production challenges.
The foundation’s establishment in 1926 came at a time when systematic scientific experimentation was becoming increasingly important for plantation agriculture. Beginning as a tea experimental station in Gudalur, its institutional journey has continued alongside the development of the tea industry in South India.
The centenary conference also provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of continued investment in research and innovation. The tea sector faces a range of contemporary issues, including changing climatic conditions, productivity concerns, pest and disease management, labour-related challenges and the need to maintain quality and competitiveness. Scientific research and technology can play a key role in helping plantations adapt to these changing circumstances.
The Vice-President’s participation as Chief Guest adds significance to the centenary programme and highlights the national importance of the tea plantation sector and agricultural research. His visit to Coonoor is also expected to draw attention to the longstanding relationship between scientific institutions and plantation communities in the region.
The UPASI Tea Research Foundation’s 100-year milestone represents a long institutional history of research undertaken in support of tea cultivation. Its work has contributed to the broader body of scientific knowledge available to tea growers in South India and has supported efforts to address practical challenges in the field.
As the foundation enters its second century, the centenary conference is likely to serve both as a reflection on its achievements and as a platform for considering the future direction of tea research. The event in Coonoor will therefore mark not only a historic milestone for UPASI TRF but also an occasion to discuss the evolving needs of the southern Indian tea industry.
The Vice-President’s visit on September 21 will underline the importance of this milestone and bring national attention to an institution that has remained closely associated with tea research in South India since its establishment in 1926.
Author: Shivam
Proficient Writer Contact: [email protected]
