The tale of the largest Ceylon tea exporters
Tea Merchants with over 100 years’ family tradition
History of both
Ceylon
tea and Akbar Brothers family were destined to commence in the same era in
Sri Lanka
in
the 1860's. James Taylor, a Scotsman, planted the first tea sapling in
Sri Lanka
(then
Ceylon
)
in 1867 whilst in 1864, the great-grand father of present Akbar brothers' Shaikh Hebtulabhoy, left his
native
India
, and settled
down in
Sri Lanka
.
His son Tyeabally Shaikh Hebtulabhoy pioneered the family in to the thriving
Sri Lanka
tea
industry, by forming M. S. Hebtulabhoy & Company
Limited. Tea historian D. M. Forrest's 'A Hundred Years of Ceylon Tea' book in
page 152 states thus: Very large purchases today, for the Middle East market in
particular, are such firms as Hebtulabhoy & Co
established in Colombo for generations, began shipping tea abroad in 1907.
In
time, Tyeabally Shaikh Hebtulabhoy's grandsons- Abbas, Abid and Inayet Akbarally - who
too were well versed in tea, relinquished their positions in Hebtulabhoys & Co., and formed Akbar Brothers in 1969.
Within 3 short years Akbar Brothers succeeded in making significant
breakthroughs in to major tea markets in the
Middle East
,
and elsewhere.
Largest exporter of Ceylon tea
Akbar Brothers Limited was incorporated in 1972. Significantly, in the same year, the father of these founders retired from the Chairmanship of Hebtulabhoys & Co. and joined his sons, making available his 40 years experience in the highest echelons of tea industry. Moreover, the flourish thus set, kept up its' momentum for the company to become the largest tea exporter. For 14 consecutive years since 1992, Akbar Brothers Limited has been acknowledged as the biggest Sri Lanka tea exporter. Further, "Akbar" became the flagship brand of finest Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka .