The company has also acquired a Vietnamese tea company, Phu Ben, through its wholly-owned unit in Britain, Borelli Tea Holdings.

'Our strategy, going forward, is that between 20-30 percent of our total production should come from outside India in the next five years,' Khaitan said.

At present, the company produces around 80 million kilograms of tea annually, and exports around 30 million kilograms.

Talking about his outlook on the industry, Khaitan said: 'Considering the drought that hit India in the first two-three months of the current fiscal, the overall tea production in the country will be down by 20-25 million kilograms this year, and 70-75 million kilograms in 2010-11.'

India's total production last fiscal was 980 million kilograms.