Tea grows well in tropical and sub-tropical regions where there is fertile, well drained soil and cheap labour. It requires warm, moist, frost-free weather with well distributed rainfall throughout the year. Hence, its cultivation is confined to north-eastern states like Assam, hills of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, Meghalaya, Uttaranchal etc.
Coffee requires tropical climate with temperature between 15° C to 28° C and well drained soil. Its
cultivation is mainly confined to the western slopes of Western Ghats, mainly Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.