In short: Bogapani Tea Estate is a black tea producer in the Tinsukia region of Assam, India, operated by Mcleod Russel India Ltd. and recorded as a supplier to Sainsbury's.
Bogapani Tea Estate is a black tea producer located in the Tinsukia region of Assam, India, at an elevation of 142 metres above sea level. The estate is operated by Mcleod Russel India Ltd., formerly one of the world's largest tea producers by area. Bogapani is recorded as a supplier to Sainsbury's, one of the United Kingdom's major supermarket chains.
Terroir & Climate
At 142 metres elevation in the Upper Assam plains, Bogapani sits within the low-altitude belt that characterises much of Tinsukia's tea geography. Estates at this elevation in Assam typically experience a humid, tropical climate with high year-round temperatures and substantial monsoon rainfall, conditions that generally favour vigorous vegetative growth and a lengthy plucking season extending through most of the year.
The latitude of approximately 27°N places Bogapani in a zone where the growing cycle tends to be less sharply delineated by winter dormancy than in higher-altitude regions. Low-lying Assam estates often produce teas with robust body and malty character, though specific soil composition, drainage, and cultivation practices will influence the final leaf profile at any given garden.
Tea Produced
Bogapani produces black tea, the dominant category across Assam's commercial estates. Teas from low-altitude Tinsukia gardens typically yield a strong, full-bodied cup with the malty, brisk character for which Assam is known in global blending markets. Such teas are often used in breakfast blends and mass-market retail packs, prized for their colour, strength, and consistency rather than the more nuanced aromatics sometimes associated with high-grown orthodox production.
Supply Chain & Market Position
Bogapani's status as a recorded supplier to Sainsbury's situates it within the United Kingdom's mainstream retail tea supply chain. Sainsbury's sources Assam teas for own-label lines and blends that reach millions of consumers, indicating that Bogapani's output meets the volume, consistency, and audit standards required by a major multiple retailer. The estate's inclusion in such supply chains reflects both the scale of its operator and the role of Tinsukia estates in feeding commodity and branded retail demand in mature export markets.
- Recorded supplier to Sainsbury's
Operator
Mcleod Russel India Ltd. operates Bogapani and, according to our directory, at least six other tea estates. At its peak, Mcleod Russel was the world's largest private-sector tea producer by cultivated area, with a portfolio concentrated in Assam and other Indian tea regions. The company has in recent years faced financial restructuring and ownership changes, but its estates continue to supply global buyers. The presence of multiple Mcleod Russel gardens in our records underscores the company's historic footprint in the Indian tea industry and its ongoing role in export-oriented production.
Location & Neighbouring Estates
Bogapani Tea Estate lies at 27.4505, 95.6129 in Tinsukia, India. Its 142 m elevation is the joint 108th highest of 250 estates we map in India. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:
- Chamong Tea Estate, Namdang — 6.4 km away · Assam
- Pengaree — 6.4 km away · Assam
- Samdang Tea Estate — 10 km away · Samdang T.E.48 Fs. C
- Mahakali Tea Estate — 11 km away · 328/388 Nlr. Grt
- BUDLABETA — 12 km away · Assam
Estates at a Similar Altitude to Bogapani Tea Estate
Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Bogapani Tea Estate (142 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Bogapani Tea Estate recorded 2,617 mm in 2025, within 5% of the 2,698 mm average across these estates, so altitude explains most of its rainfall.
| Estate | Where | Elevation | Rain 2025 | Mean high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAJULI | Assam, India | 142 m | 1,742 mm | 28.8 °C |
| Pussellawa Plantations, Pambegama | Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka | 142 m | 4,426 mm | 30.2 °C |
| Dejoo Tea Estate | Assam, India | 141 m | 2,202 mm | 28.9 °C |
| Kahawatte Plantations, Hunuwella | Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka | 143 m | 3,902 mm | 29.7 °C |
| Anhui Huangshan United Keemun Tea Co., Ltd. - Factory | Huangshan City, China | 137 m | 1,216 mm | 24.9 °C |
Bogapani Tea Estate Compared with India
In India, Bogapani Tea Estate is drier than 58% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 57% of the others by elevation; warmer than 68% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Bogapani Tea Estate against the 249 other estates we map in India, so you can see whether it is typical for its country or an outlier.
| Measure | Bogapani Tea Estate | Country median | Country range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 142 m | 126 m | 6 to 2,299 m |
| Annual rainfall (2025) | 2,617 mm | 2,778 mm | 745 to 4,774 mm |
| Mean daily high | 28.7 °C | 28.3 °C | 16.9 to 34.5 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 19.1 °C | 19.3 °C | 9.3 to 24.2 °C |
Observed Climate at Bogapani Tea Estate (2025)
ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Bogapani Tea Estate’s coordinates recorded 2,617 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was April (385 mm) and the driest was December (26 mm). Daytime highs averaged 28.7 °C and overnight lows 19.1 °C over the year; July was the warmest month and December the coolest.
| Metric | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Annual precipitation | 2,617 mm |
| Wettest month | April (385 mm) |
| Driest month | December (26 mm) |
| Mean daily high | 28.7 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 19.1 °C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bogapani Tea Estate located?
Bogapani Tea Estate is in Tinsukia, India, at coordinates 27.4505, 95.6129, at an elevation of about 142 metres.
Who operates Bogapani Tea Estate?
Bogapani Tea Estate is operated by Mcleod Russel India Ltd., according to public supply-chain records.
What type of tea does Bogapani Tea Estate produce?
Bogapani Tea Estate is recorded as producing black tea.
Which buyers does Bogapani Tea Estate supply?
Public supplier disclosures record Bogapani Tea Estate as supplying Sainsbury's.
How much rain does Bogapani Tea Estate receive?
ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,617 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in April (385 mm).
How does Bogapani Tea Estate compare with estates at a similar elevation?
Estates at a similar elevation recorded about 2,698 mm of rain in 2025, close to the 2,617 mm at Bogapani Tea Estate.
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].
