The Indian tea industry experienced its highest production and exports in 2018, but the COVID-19 lockdown led to a significant decrease in production in 2020, resulting in a large deficit and a expected decline in production compared to the previous year. The lockdown and unfavorable weather caused a major loss in northern production, with Assam and West Bengal seeing a dip in production. South India experienced a slight increase in production, but it was not enough to offset the loss in the north.