Gourmet tea companies reach buyers in domestic market as lockdown dried up international business This rise in demand got the attention of some tea entrepreneurs who started thinking outside the box and favoured going to customers directly. Synopsis The lockdown dried up the international tea business for three months. Even after countries started lifting the lockdown, there was trade disruption and logistical issues. This made several contemporary gourmet tea companies that otherwise solely relied on business from these geographies to look at the Indian market. The pandemic may have spoiled the party for luxury goods makers the world over, but there was one type of luxury that continued to thrive during this time. High-end teas, especially green, did considerable business even when the world was preoccupied with the coronavirus, claim companies selling them.