Tea Consumption in India Surges: Bengaluru Emerges as Most Tea-Obsessed City, Overtakes Mumbai and Hyderabad

Tea consumption in India is surging, with Bengaluru emerging as the most tea-obsessed city, overtaking Mumbai and Hyderabad. Demand for varieties like ginger tea, kombucha and ready-to-drink tea is rising rapidly across urban and tier-2 markets.

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Bengaluru Emerges as India's Most Tea-Obsessed City

Whether it is a chilly morning, a rainy evening or a remedy for a headache, a hot cup of coffee has long been a favourite among Bengaluru residents. However, a new report suggests that tea lovers now outnumber coffee enthusiasts in the city.

According to an analysis by Instamart based on tea orders placed across more than 130 Indian cities between June 2025 and June 2026, tea drinkers now outnumber coffee lovers nationwide. Surprisingly, Bengaluru leads the country in tea consumption, challenging its long-standing reputation as India's coffee capital.

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Sunday Tops Weekly Tea Orders, Followed By Saturday And Thursday

Bengaluru, often referred to as the Garden City, is widely known for its tea culture. 

The city has now overtaken other major metros to emerge as India’s largest tea-drinking city, with Mumbai and Hyderabad following behind. 

Data shows a clear weekly trend in consumption patterns, with Sunday recording the highest number of tea orders, followed by Saturday and Thursday.

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Changing Tea Trends: Kombucha and Ginger in Demand

Bengaluru residents are no longer limited to plain tea made from tea powder. Instead, they are increasingly embracing healthier options and globally popular tea varieties.

Across India, the fastest-growing tea flavour is Peach Tea, with orders rising by 62% compared to last year.

Meanwhile, demand for health-conscious options such as Tulsi Tea, Green Tea and Blue Pea Tea has increased by 26%.

Notably, Kombucha, a fermented tea, has entered the top five fastest-growing tea categories in India, with ginger-infused Kombucha emerging as a particularly popular choice.

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Ready to Drink: Best for a Busy Lifestyle

Today’s employees often do not have time to brew tea at home. As a result, there is growing demand for ready-to-drink tea, which is available in bottles or cans. 

Orders in this category have jumped by a whopping 109%, making it the highest-selling category on Instamart.

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Traditional Tea Continues to Dominate Preferences Across India

No matter how many new and flavoured teas enter the market, traditional tea continues to hold its top position in the minds of Indians.

The top five tea varieties at the national level are as follows:

• Ginger Tea (Adarak Chai) 
• Plain Black Tea 
• Cardamom Tea 
• Green Tea 
• Masala Chai

Ginger tea has firmly retained its number one position in almost all major cities across India.

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Tea Craze in Tier-2 Cities

Not only in metro cities, tea orders on Instamart have increased in smaller cities as well. 

Bhubaneswar in Odisha has emerged as the fastest-growing ‘tea city’ in India, with orders rising by 64%. 

Bhubaneswar is followed by Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.