Sri Lanka, the world's top tea exporter, is going all guns to promote tea as a health drink and as an alternative to soft drinks. Ranjith Maligaspe, director-general of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, stated that the benefits of green tea should be used as a tool to attract younger consumers. Green tea has exhibited properties which fight cancer and cardio-vascular diseases. It was all the more important to promote tea, as its global production has been on the increase while the global consumption remained stagnant. Sri Lanka's tea exports are expected to hit a record 250 million kg this year.