Tea breeding programs in low- to middle-income countries face challenges in developing improved varieties due to low selection accuracy and limited resources. By using genomic selection (GS), which increases selection accuracy and shortens breeding cycles, genetic progress in tea breeding can be accelerated. In a study comparing different breeding strategies, GS programs achieved significantly higher genetic gains than traditional phenotypic selection methods. The most cost-effective GS strategy, Seed-GSc, showed the highest genetic gains and reduced the generation interval to just 2 years. This research suggests that implementing GS in tea breeding programs can improve genetic progress even in resource-constrained environments.