Goodricke Group Ltd.(GGL), a part of UK based Duncan Lawrie Group was incorporated in 1977 to takeover the Indian business and assets of eight Sterling Tea companies comprising seventeen tea estates. The Duncan Lawrie Group have a controlling stake in GGL through its group companies Assam-Dooars Investment, which hold 48.10% of stake in GGL and Western-Dooars Investment, which holds 25.90% stake in GGL. The company has taken acquisition route to expand its plantation area, especialy in Darjeeling District of West Bengal in 1984. Under this acquisition policy it had already acquired Castleton Tea Estate and Margarets'Hope Tea Estate through its subsidiary 'Tiru Tea'. The UK-based Lawrie group, together with GGL, has acquired a 45% stake in the Soaltee group of Nepal, which produces two lac kg pa of tea.