A trade delegation from India, the world's largest tea producer, will visit Pakistan later this month to push tea sales as tensions between the nuclear rivals ease, an industry official said.

The Indian Tea Association team, which leaves on June 28 for a five-day visit, is the first Indian trade group to visit Islamabad since the two nations massed troops in a stand-off last year due to their conflict over the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan is the world's third largest importer of tea after Russia and Britain, and imports around 130 million kg annually. It buys most of its tea from Kenya, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"The ITA delegation will include at least 10 top Indian exporters and producers. We are keen to sell to the Pakistani market, which is very promising," Sujit Patra, deputy secretary of the ITA, said from Calcutta.

"The team will meet Pakistani importers and traders. We can provide the volume Pakistan needs at the right price. The right climate is being created and if the situation improves, we will be very optimistic," Patra said.

The ITA is India's largest producers' body.

Indian exports have been hit by the collapse of its key market of Iraq this year and the gradual decline in demand from traditional buyers such as Russia and Britain.

Indian tea exports fell 29 per cent to 32.99 million kg in January-March year-on-year. India exported 193 million kg of tea last year, of which only 3.7 million went to Pakistan.

Indian exporters started eyeing the lucrative Pakistani market after the neighbours began efforts to reduce tensions over Kashmir when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee promised in April to make a decisive effort for peace.

In May, taking advantage of the thaw in ties, Pakistan's Lakson group set up a joint venture with a British subsidiary of India's largest producer Tata Tea -- the first such partnership between companies of the two South Asian rivals.