Today there are 87 running gardens producing ‘Darjeeling Tea’ on a total area of 17,500 hectares. The total production rages from 9 to 10 million kgs annually.

The Darjeeling tea industry at present employs over 52,000 people on a permanent basis, while a further 15,000 persons are engaged during the plucking season, which lasts from March to November.

A unique feature of this work force is that more than 60 percent are women and the employment is on a family basis.

The income of a garden worker is half in the form of cash and the other half by way of perquisites which have over the years effectively provided a cushion against the impact of inflation and scarcities. For instance, the workers are provided with free accommodation, subsidised cereal ration and free medical benefits.

According to the census carried out in the hills in 1971, the total population of three hill sub-divisions of district viz. Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong was approximately 600,000. From the records maintained by the tea gardens, the resident population is over 300,000.

Apart from tourism, Tea is the biggest industrial activity in Darjeeling, offering the largest employment in the hills. The turnover of the Darjeeling tea industry is nearly USD 7.5 million, which is acknowledged to be more than the money generated by tourism in the Darjeeling hills.