Amrita Patel (pictured), the chairman of National Dairy Development Board, has joined the board of Tata Tea as a non-wholetime independent director.
In an intimation to stock exchanges, the company has informed that Patel has joined the board, effective June 29, 2006.
The move comes at a time when Tata Tea is exploring alternative revenue streams. The company refused to comment on whether Patel's induction was linked to the company's diversification.
Patel is a well-known professional in dairy development, co-operatives, rural management, animal husbandry, ecology and environment.
Tata Tea is exploring alternate revenue streams for its North India Plantations Operations, which is likely to be more profitable than the company's tea business in Assam.
The company was experimenting multi-crop options in two north-eastern estates, Borjan and Hatikuli and the two projects were christened Natural Borjan and Natural Hatikuli.
Tata Tea has secured approvals for implementing the programmes in all its estates. However, the company plans to refine the projects in the two estates of Hatkuli and Borjan and then implement it across all its estates.
Among non-agro options, the company was weighing fisheries as an alternative revenue stream.
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