Companies in Darjeeling

When by Captain Lloyd and Mr. J. W. Grant first came to the hills in 1828, they thought that the position as well as the climatic condition of the place was perfect for setting up a sanatorium for the British soldiers. They chose the area around the Dorje Ling Monastery to set up the new township. Little did they envisage that one day a prosperous urban amalgamation would develop at the very spot.
 
However, with the emergence of tea industry, urbanization of the place became inevitable. The process was hastened once the township began to draw tourists in a big way. People from the rural areas began to come to Darjeeling in search of livelihood and this further accelerated the course of action. Today Darjeeling is home to many small and big companies, which not only provide employment to the people of Darjeeling, but also great services to the locals and tourists alike.

Tea companies in Darjeeling can be divided into two groups – tea gardens who produce the tea and retailers and wholesalers who sell the tea. Among the tea producing companies located in the vicinity of the town we can name the following:

• Happy Valley Tea Estate
• Tukvar Tea Estate
• Glenburn Tea Estat
• Rangaroon Tea Estate
• Rungneet Tea Estate
• Pandam Tea Estate
• Tumsong Tea Estate
• Rungmook & Cedar Tea Estate

Among the companies that sell tea, we can name Nathmulls Tea Export International, which has two outlets; the original shop is located on Laden La Road while the newer outlet, Nathmulls Tea and Sunset Lounge is located on the Chowrasta Mall. Other than that, various other tea traders have also set up shops in different parts of the town. Goodricke, which also own several gardens in this area, is one of them.

Since Darjeeling provides ample scope for tours and travels, many travelling companies have also set up their shops here. Majority of these companies are run by local entrepreneurs while some of them have all India presence.  Some among them specialize solely on treks and adventures. Tenzing Norgay Adventures, established by the famous Everester Tenzing Norgay, is probably the first of its kind. Adventure Unlimited, Trek Mate, Off Road Adventures are some other companies of this category.

On the other hand, companies such as Ashmita Tours and Travels, Amigo Tours and Treks offer both adventure trips and sightseeing tours. Their cars are generally well maintained and reliable. Moreover, they generally employ expert drivers as well as tour guides. Some like Kasturi Tours and Travels, Diamond Treks Tours and Travels and Samsara Tours Travels and Treks also arrange tickets for Siliguri-Kolkata bus journeys.

Hotel industry in Darjeeling is well developed. Together, they provide employment to a large number of people. While most of these hotels are run by local entrepreneurs, some like Cedar Inn, Elgin and Sinclairs are run by all India hotel chains.  Moreover, these hotels can be categorized into different groups.

Just as in most other cities, majority of these hotels belong to the budget group with tariff rates ranging from less than Rs. 1000 to Rs. 2000.  There are also quite a few three star hotels. They generally charge anything between Rs 2000 and Rs 3000 per person per night. However, they also offer many packages such as group plan, honeymoon plan etc.  They may also offer off season discount.

Then again, hotels like Windamere, Elgin , Cedar Inn and Little Tibet belong to the four star category.  While Windamere are Elgin Darjeeling are heritage hotels built during the Raj era, some like Little Tibet are boutique hotels offering ethnic touch to their services.

Apart from the above, there are quite a few small or big companies offering varied services. For example, for a city as small as Darjeeling, there are quite a few companies dealing in packing and moving of good. Some of them are based in Darjeeling, while others may have their headquarters elsewhere, but cover Darjeeling. For example, Packers Movers Kolkata has a branch in Darjeeling; one can contact them at 09911918545 for further information. Anamika Packers & Movers, on the other hand, is based in Siliguri, nonetheless it covers Darjeeling and other hill towns. One may contact them at 0993-379 0730 for further information.

Apart from established banks, many financial companies have opened their branches in Darjeeling. Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Ltd is available at No 515/3, Hill Cart Road (Lhasa Villa). Insurance companies, such as Life Insurance Corporation of India, SBI Life, Birla Sun Life, New India Insurance, Reliance Life Insurance too have opened branches in Darjeeling.