Kilkotagiri

Kilkotagiri is a tea estate in Tamil Nadu, India, situated at 1,780 metres above sea level. The property is operated by Kilkotagiri & Thirumbadi Plantations Ltd and is recorded as a supplier to Morrisons, the United Kingdom supermarket chain.

Terroir & Climate

At 1,780 metres, Kilkotagiri occupies a high-altitude site within Tamil Nadu's tea-growing zones. Estates at this elevation in southern India typically experience moderate temperatures and diurnal variation that can slow leaf maturation, often contributing to a more measured growing cycle than lowland gardens. The latitude of approximately 11.5°N places the estate in a tropical belt where monsoon patterns generally shape the calendar of flush periods and dormancy.

High-elevation sites in this region tend to benefit from mist cover and cooler nights, conditions that many growers associate with the development of nuanced flavour compounds in the leaf. Rainfall distribution and the interplay between the south-west and north-east monsoons typically influence both yield and the character of the processed tea, though specific climatic data for Kilkotagiri have not been disclosed.

Tea Produced

Kilkotagiri produces black tea. Estates at comparable elevations in Tamil Nadu often yield teas with a brisk, bright character and some body, though cup profile varies widely depending on cultivar, plucking standard, and processing method. High-grown southern Indian blacks can display notes ranging from malty to floral, and may offer a balance of astringency and sweetness that appeals to both blending and single-estate retail formats.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Kilkotagiri is recorded as a supplier to Morrisons, one of the United Kingdom's largest supermarket groups. This relationship indicates the estate's integration into mainstream retail supply chains, where consistent quality, traceability, and volume capacity are typically required. Estates supplying major British supermarkets are often subject to third-party auditing and must meet buyer specifications on both product standards and social compliance, even where formal certification is not publicly documented.

• Recorded supplier to  Morrisons

Operator

The estate is operated by Kilkotagiri & Thirumbadi Plantations Ltd. Public information on the company's ownership structure, operational history, and broader estate portfolio is limited; no other estates under this operator's management are currently recorded in our directory.

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Kilkotagiri lies at 11.4500, 76.9348 in Tamil Nadu, India. Its 1780 m elevation is the 8th highest of 11 estates we map in Tamil Nadu. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Warwick Estate — 7.0 km away · Kotagiri
• Kodanad Tea Estate — 7.4 km away · Gandhi nagar
• Glendale Estate — 8.3 km away · Coonoor
• Burnside Tea Estate — 8.5 km away
• Havukal Estate — 8.6 km away · Kotagiri

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Kilkotagiri

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Kilkotagiri (1,780 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Kilkotagiri recorded 1,459 mm in 2025, 7% less than the 1,567 mm average across these estates: at the same height, local weather and exposure matter as much as elevation.

Estate	Where	Elevation	Rain 2025	Mean high
Kimunye Tea Factory	Kimunye, Kenya	1,779 m	1,178 mm	21.4 °C
MOGENI	IKONGE NYAMIRA COUNTY, Kenya	1,778 m	1,351 mm	24.8 °C
Jun Chiyabari Tea Garden	Dhankuta Municipality Ward No 1, Nepal	1,786 m	2,160 mm	19.4 °C
Dl Teas Tanzania, Kibena Tea Factory- Njombe	Ninga, Tanzania United Republic Of	1,770 m	1,053 mm	21.6 °C
Yellapatty Tea Estate	Dist. Kerala, India	1,805 m	2,094 mm	20.9 °C

Kilkotagiri Compared with Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, Kilkotagiri is drier than 80% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 70% of the others by elevation; warmer than 70% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Kilkotagiri against the 10 other estates we map in Tamil Nadu, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	Kilkotagiri	Region median	Region range
Elevation	1,780 m	1,908 m	415 to 2,247 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	1,459 mm	1,762 mm	798 to 3,631 mm
Mean daily high	20.9 °C	20.3 °C	18.2 to 32.2 °C
Mean overnight low	13.9 °C	12.9 °C	10.9 to 21.7 °C

Observed Climate at Kilkotagiri (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Kilkotagiri’s coordinates recorded 1,459 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was May (241 mm) and the driest was February (2 mm). Daytime highs averaged 20.9 °C and overnight lows 13.9 °C over the year; April was the warmest month and December the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	1,459 mm
Wettest month	May (241 mm)
Driest month	February (2 mm)
Mean daily high	20.9 °C
Mean overnight low	13.9 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Kilkotagiri located?

Kilkotagiri is in Tamil Nadu, India, at coordinates 11.4500, 76.9348, at an elevation of about 1780 metres.

Who operates Kilkotagiri?

Kilkotagiri is operated by Kilkotagiri & Thirumbadi Plantations Ltd, according to public supply-chain records.

What type of tea does Kilkotagiri produce?

Kilkotagiri is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Kilkotagiri supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Kilkotagiri as supplying Morrisons.

How much rain does Kilkotagiri receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 1,459 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in May (241 mm).

How does Kilkotagiri compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Kilkotagiri recorded 1,459 mm in 2025, 7% less rain than the 1,567 mm average of estates at a similar elevation.

Data sources: public supply-chain disclosures (Ethical Tea Partnership member lists, Rainforest Alliance certificate holders and retailer supplier disclosures); climate figures are ERA5 reanalysis modelled for the estate’s coordinates via Open-Meteo (calendar year 2025); coordinates and elevations from geocoded records. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].