Nepal’s tea industry is facing a serious crisis after India introduced stricter export procedures for Nepali tea, forcing the closure of more than eighty factories and tea estates across the eastern districts of Ilam and Jhapa. The shutdown has affected an estimated 60,000 workers and staff, particularly daily wage labourers who depend on tea harvesting for their livelihoods. Many families report struggling to afford food, with some borrowing money or purchasing essentials on credit. Others are leaving in search of work elsewhere. The crisis has spread beyond tea workers, impacting transport services, local traders and businesses linked to the industry. The closures have occurred during the peak first-flush harvest season, leaving fresh tea shoots unpicked and at risk of being lost. Industry leaders warn that continued border delays, rising stockpiles and disrupted cash flow could cause lasting damage to one of Nepal’s most important agricultural export sectors.