An anti black friday sale by Assam’s Woolah will grow a forest

An anti black friday sale by Assam’s Woolah will grow a forest

While leading brands across the world are sending buyers into a tizzy with Black Friday discounts, Woolah, an organic ‘bagless' dip tea brand from Assam, is doing the opposite. It will remove all discounts and reinstate full MRP on November 28, Black Friday.

The revenue from this Anti-Black Friday Sale – For the Planet will be used to plant 10,000 trees with the help of ‘Forest Man of India', Jadav Payeng.

In a year-long campaign, Woolah will support the plantation drive, led by Jadav, at a newly formed sandbar near Molai, the forest created by Jadav at Majuli, an island in the Brahmaputra river.

Upamanyu Borkakoty, the founder of Woolah with environmentalist Jadav Payeng | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“We, as a brand, are led by a purpose, with sustainability at its core. And as our consumer base is growing, we wanted to walk the talk. This is one way of giving back to the planet,” says Upamanyu Borkakoty, Founder of Woolah.

“Black Friday has become a global campaign for thoughtless consumption. Woolah was built on the belief that consumption should nourish, not harm. Increasing prices this Black Friday is not about revenue; it is about responsibility. Instead of contributing to a cycle that ends in landfills, we want this day to end in a forest. If this campaign makes even a handful of people pause, rethink and buy consciously, then it is already doing its job,” he adds.

The brand had increased prices on Black Friday in 2023 and 2024 as well, but this year, it decided to collaborate with Jadav for a sustained project.

So what is the hype around Black Friday? An annual shopping event that follows Thanksgiving in the US, Black Friday became an international event as US-based retailers expanded business the world over. It is a much-awaited time of the year for consumers, often leading to compulsive purchasing.

Woolah tea | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Woolah has long been an advocate of mindful consumption. The patented world's first bagless tea dips were born out of the idea of eliminating plastic tea bags that release billions of microplastics. The dip brews like a tea bag, but contains the top two leaves and a bud of whole-leaf tea. It does not contain glue, paper fibres, nylon mesh, or microplastics.

“We have launched a movement to bring small tea growers into the organic fold. Assam has about 2.5 lakh small tea growers and many of them are willing to try organic methods. We are tying up with the Assam Agricultural University to train farmers on organic practices,” says Upamanyu.

Woolah tea | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Today, over 200 rural women are part of Woolah's processing ecosystem, from plucking to rolling to hand-tying the signature two-leaf-one-bud format.

In 2026, the brand is expanding to the UAE and the US. Says Upamanyu, “We are trying to change the way tea brands are percieved and while doing so, we are healing the planet.”

Published - November 27, 2025 06:37 pm IST

The Hindu MetroPlus

Source: TheHindu
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