VAHDAM India
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
New Delhi company selling Indian teas and herbal wellness blends.
There's no proof the people who grow its tea earn more than the legal minimum, which in India is well below a living wage, and VAHDAM India has no full independent audit.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent VAHDAM India? Send a right of reply.
Compare VAHDAM India with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its tea is grown in India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using VAHDAM India's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its tea is grown
VAHDAM India says which countries its tea comes from, but doesn't name the farms or co-operatives.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: tea estate wages in Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya are among the lowest of any export crop, often paid partly in kind (housing, rations). (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Direct trade (self-reported)
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes VAHDAM sells Indian tea and herbal blends and says it buys directly from more than 150 plantations and small farms in Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Kangra and Sikkim, packing them at its own facility in India. It has been a Certified B Corp since September 2023 (score 81.4) and pledges 1% of revenue to educating tea farmers' children. It names no estates and publishes no supplier code, audits or wage data for plantation workers, and its range is not Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified. No labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | VAHDAM teas are not Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certified. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No VAHDAM modern slavery statement is on the Australian register. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour rights allegations against VAHDAM are recorded. View |
| B Corp directory | Certified | VAHDAM Teas is a Certified B Corp since September 2023 with an overall score of 81.4. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- VAHDAM Teas Private Limited (B Lab directory) · search the archive · Certified B Corp since September 2023; overall score 81.4 (workers 26.9, community 22.9)
- Ethical Indian tea specialist Vahdam targets global travel retail (Moodie Davitt, 2019) · search the archive · Buys direct from 150+ plantations and farms in Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Kangra, Sikkim
- VAHDAM secures $3m from SIDBI Ventures (Outlook Business) · search the archive · New Delhi HQ; Walmart US launch; revenue about ₹265 crore FY25
- Vahdam India tops Rs 350 crore revenue (BW Retail World, April 2026) · search the archive · FY26 revenue Rs 350 crore; still trading; own facility in India; sold in 180+ countries
- VAHDAM Assam Black Tea (Amazon.com.au) · search the archive · VAHDAM teas sold online in Australia
Published by VAHDAM India or its owner
- Our story (VAHDAM India) · search the archive · Single-origin Indian brand packed at origin; no middlemen; TEACH Me 1% of revenue pledge; no labour certifications
Company details
- Headquarters
- India
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is VAHDAM India ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/vahdam, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded tea
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent VAHDAM India.