The sixth essay of the World Tea and Coffee Expo will take place at Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai between November 29 and December 1, 2018. Spread over two storeys, it is South Asia’s largest annual business gathering dedicated to tea, coffee and related segments.

While India is growing by leaps and bounds, in terms of production and consumption of and innovations in the two beverages, companies from six other nations (Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam) will join their counterparts from the host nation at the event.

In all, over 70 exhibitors representing seven nations – including government pavilions – are expected to showcase their offerings at the expo, which offers huge potential for appointing distributors, bulk deals, joint ventures, franchising, networking, meeting government officials, marketing alliances and overall branding.

With over 4,000 trade visitors anticipated from across the world, companies participating at WTCE 2018 can expand their foothold in the market or enter newer markets. The show has become the ideal launchpad for new products especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who don’t have large budgets.

The 2018 edition shall feature tea and coffee brands and products, machinery, innovative technologies, flavours, ingredients, sugar and sweeteners, vending solutions, packaging and certifications. Thanks to the proliferation of the café culture phenomenon and the entry of many local and regional players’ offerings, the market is growing rapidly.

Priti M Kapadia, director, Sentinel Exhibitions Asia P Ltd, the organisers of the trade fair, said, “For new entrants, the expo becomes a single sourcing avenue for all their requirements.”

“In India, a number of tea and coffee estate owners are in the process of launching their own brands for which they seek latest technology, machinery and packaging,” she added.

“For such players to survive – and thrive – they need to adapt the innovative technology, quality services and diligence of international vendor,” Kapadia said.

WTCE will also include a two-day high-level conference by leading speakers from India and abroad and workshops. On the last day, sommeliering, barista and other skills, including tea tasting, will be imparted. Entry to the expo, conference and workshops is free.

Increased competitive pressure is pushing new product development which is fuelling the industry demand. Most international companies which have entered India are doing brisk business and expanding their operations. WTCE is the catalyst for International companies to target this huge market.