I have been an avid coffee drinker since I was 15, when I first discovered its magical powers during sleepless nights spent preparing for my Class 10 board exams. Back then, this elixir of life came in a thermos—filled with a milky concoction made from freeze-dried instant coffee powder. It was less about flavour and more about keeping awake.
What followed was a slow and pleasurable education. From instant coffee, I graduated to drip-brewed black coffee made from roasted and freshly ground beans. Then it was on to south Indian filter kaapi—a strong and comforting brew; and later, while living abroad, I encountered the rich diversity of European, Asian and other specialty coffees, developing a taste for Greek, Indonesian, Jamaican and Kenyan varieties.
Then, about 15 years ago, I had an epiphany: increasingly, the finest cups I tasted were coming from home. I had long enjoyed excellent beans from Coorg, but the real breakthrough came with Araku Coffee. The Naandi Foundation’s initiative to organise tribal farmers in the Araku Valley—on the Andhra-Odisha border—broke barriers. Instead of patiently building brand equity over decades, Araku was audaciously positioned as a premium product from day one. Its packaging, marketing and global retail presence targeted elite markets in Paris and beyond.
Such a gamble could only succeed if the coffee itself was exceptional. It was. Araku’s success did more than win over connoisseurs—it changed mindsets. It proved that Indian coffee need not remain modestly priced bulk produce, but could be aspirational, refined and globally competitive.
Just across the state border from Araku lies Odisha’s scenic Koraput district, blessed with dramatic landscapes of mountains, waterfalls and valleys. Koraput, too, had a modest but long-overlooked coffee-growing history. Following Araku’s example, it has begun positioning itself in the premium segment. The results speak for themselves: Koraput Coffee has won two Fine Cup awards under the Coffee Board’s Know Your Kaapi initiative.
This transformation is not confined to one or two regions. Across the country, entrepreneurs—both traditional planters and passionate startups—are reimagining Indian coffee. Government policies have supported this momentum through targeted incentives and pilot projects, including in non-traditional regions like Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram.
India now ranks seventh in global coffee production, behind Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. While our production growth hovers just under 2 per cent annually, exports are surging dramatically—doubling from roughly $1 billion to $2 billion in the past year, with major markets including Italy, Germany, Russia and Belgium.
In India, coffee production is dominated by Karnataka at 2,80,000 tonnes and Kerala at 85,000 tonnes. Yet, Andhra Pradesh, already producing around 16,000 tonnes, and emerging Odisha at 500 tonnes, signal the widening geography of cultivation. Nearly three lakh growers are engaged in coffee farming, most of them smallholders cultivating less than ten hectares. For them, this renaissance represents livelihood security and upward mobility.
Perhaps, the secret to Indian coffee’s distinctive profile lies in how it is grown. India is the only major producer where virtually all coffee is shade-grown, often intercropped with pepper and spices. This biodiversity not only enhances flavour but sustains ecological balance.
Recent trade agreements with the US and the EU promise access to new markets. The pieces are falling into place. For me, what began as a teenager’s survival trick has become a symbol of quiet national transformation. Indian coffee has found its confidence.
With so many remarkable options—from Coorg to Araku to Koraput and beyond—the only remaining question is personal.
Go ahead. Explore. Brew a cup. Discover your favourite.
Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda is National Vice President of the BJP and is an MP in the Lok Sabha.