Munnar: The Board of Directors of Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Private Limited (KDHP), South India’s largest tea plantation company and an associate company of Tata Consumer Products Limited, has announced two significant leadership appointments — K. Mathew Abraham as Chairman & Managing Director, and Amir Abbas Khan as Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer, both effective immediately.
K. Mathew Abraham’s appointment as Chairman & Managing Director marks a natural progression for a leader who has shaped KDHP’s trajectory over the last decade. Having led the company as Managing Director & CEO since 2015, Abraham has driven operational modernisation, sustainability leadership, and the expansion of KDHP’s consumer business. Under his stewardship, KDHP became the first large plantation company in India to achieve Carbon Neutral and Climate Positive certification — while also expanding its retail footprint through the Ripple Tea — Chai Bazaar retail store format and the Ripple Tea brand.
Abraham also serves as Vice Chairman of Tata Coffee Limited and Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited. He previously served as President of the United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) for 2024–25 and played a key role in reviving the India International Tea Convention last year — leading key industry delegations engaging with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, actively advocating critical sectoral priorities.
Commenting on the way forward for KDHP, Abraham said, “As KDHP enters its next phase of growth, our priority will be to accelerate value creation through operational excellence, enhanced value addition through specialty teas, expansion of our B2C footprint through our retail brands, Ripple Tea and Chai Bazaar stores, sustainability leadership, and the adoption of technology and AI in plantation operations, while remaining true to the values that define our employee-owned enterprise.”
The Board has also announced the appointment of Amir Abbas Khan as Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer. Khan brings nearly three decades of experience across plantation operations, tea manufacturing, marketing, and global sales. He has held several leadership positions within KDHP, most recently serving as Vice President — Tea Manufacture, following over a decade leading the company’s Marketing and Sales operations.
Khan has also held diverse leadership responsibilities across tourism, medicinal and aromatic plant initiatives, and allied agricultural businesses. In recognition of his all-round performance, he was awarded the Tata Business Excellence Award in 2003–04.
Khan has also contributed to industry leadership through the Tea Trade Association of Cochin, serving as Vice Chairman and Chairman between 2016 and 2018. During his tenure, key initiatives such as the Pan India Auction and Bharat Auctions were successfully implemented in South India in alignment with the Tea Board of India.
The Board placed on record its appreciation for the leadership and contribution of outgoing Chairman Mr. Percy T. Siganporia, whose guidance significantly strengthened KDHP’s strategic direction and governance framework.
With these appointments, KDHP reaffirms its commitment to quality, sustainability, innovation, and long-term stakeholder value creation — as India’s leading employee-owned plantation enterprise enters an exciting new chapter of growth.
