Modi Gifts Assam's Manohari Gold Tea to Indonesian President
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Indonesia's president Manohari Gold Tea, which has sold for more than Rs 1 lakh a kilogram, months after Modi himself plucked leaf at the estate that makes it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Manohari Gold Tea to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during an official visit to Indonesia, Indian outlets reported.
Manohari Gold comes from Manohari Tea Estate in Assam's Dibrugarh district, and only in small amounts: 25 to 50 grams a day, made by hand-plucking the golden-tipped buds of the estate's P126 clone bushes in the early morning, the Free Press Journal reported.
The estate's tea has broken its own auction record more than once. It sold for Rs 99,999 (about $1,330) a kilogram at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre in December 2021, then for Rs 1.15 lakh (about $1,390) a kilogram at a private auction the following year, Deccan Herald and Business Today reported at the time.
Modi has already seen the estate up close. In April, on a stop in Dibrugarh during a tour of Assam, he plucked tea leaf alongside women workers and stayed the night before at a retreat on the estate's grounds, India Today NE reported.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the tea represents the state's tea heritage and growing global recognition, the Sentinel Assam reported. The gift was one of several handcrafted Indian items, including artwork and handloom silk, presented during the visit.
Sources: The Sentinel Assam, "PM Modi Showcases Assam's Manohari Gold Tea on Global Stage"; Free Press Journal, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi Gifts Manohari Gold Tea To Indonesia; What Makes Assam's Golden Brew Special?"; Deccan Herald, "Assam's Manohari gold tea fetches record auction price of Rs 1.15 lakh per kg"; Business Today, "Assam's Manohari Gold Tea shatters record, sells at Rs 1.15 lakh per kg"; India Today NE, "The inside story of PM Modi's tea-garden visit in Assam"; Republic World, "From Hariharan's 'Colonial Cousins' To Manohari Gold Tea: PM Modi's Gifts To Delegates in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia".
Correction, October 3, 2026: An earlier version dated the visit July 6 to 8 and placed it in Jakarta, details the cited reports do not give.
Correction, October 3, 2026: An earlier version said the buds are hand-rolled and sun-dried; the Free Press Journal says only that they are processed using traditional techniques.
Correction, October 3, 2026: An earlier version said a Hyderabad tea trader bought the 2022 lot for restaurant clients; the buyer was RK Tea Sales, for clients including Cafe Nilofer in Hyderabad.
Correction, October 3, 2026: An earlier version converted the December 2021 price of Rs 99,999 as about $1,200; at that month's rate it is about $1,330, and the 2022 price of Rs 1.15 lakh is about $1,390, not $1,380.
Correction, October 3, 2026: The description no longer calls the tea an orthodox, a detail this item's sources do not give.
Correction, October 3, 2026: A sentence giving the price as more than Rs 1 lakh (about $1,200) was removed because it read as lower than the December 2021 price; the 2022 sale of Rs 1.15 lakh is about $1,390.
Correction, October 3, 2026: An earlier version placed Modi's night at the estate in April; he stayed the night of March 31, before the April 1 visit.