The minister has asked all the stakeholders of the country's tea industry to hold brainstorming sessions and come up with suggestions by the end of this month. Tea Board is likely to appoint an advertising agency, which will help the industry to give a shape to this new logo.

The move to change this age old traditional logo has thrown open a vigorous debate. While a section of the industry feels that the current logo does not visually connect to Indian tea, there are others who feel that the logo, which has become synonymous with Indian tea should not be completely changed, since world markets have come to accept the logo for over three decades. The new logo will have to registered in all the export markets so that it is not be misused by unscrupulous traders.

"The current logo is not yielding much dividend for the exporting community in Indian tea trade. It was designed at a time when India was not considered a force in the world market. But today everybody is excited about India's growth story. I strongly feel that a new logo should be introduced which is refreshing and unfolds the rich heritage of Indian tea. The present logo does not say much about Indian tea. The logo should also have some quality parameters attached to it. But above all, a lady carrying a burden on her back has some negative connotations, which need to be changed," said Mr Arya of J.V. Gokal, a leading tea merchant exporter from India.

Mr J. Kalyansundaram, secretary of Calcutta Tea Traders Association however felt that the logo not of much importance in export markets. "It's true that a logo is a certificate of origin but in international markets, buyers go by garden mark, name of the tea producer and the name of the merchant exporter. A change in the logo will not affect Indian tea exports as the Tea Board is aware of the target markets and can do extensive campaign there. For instance, trade marks like Silkmark and Woolmark are constantly promoted by the respective departments. It's not an uphill task as the government itself will take initiative to promote the logo" he said.

Mr Azam Monem, director of McLeod Russel India argued : "The present logo should have a contemporary look but should not be changed completely. If a new logo comes then the question of registration in all the export markets will arise which will also involve legal implications. The matter should be discussed extensively before the logo is changed."