INDIA – India’s coffee exports reached a record high of US$1.29 billion in the 2023-24 financial year, nearly doubling from US$719.42 million in 2020-21.
India is the seventh-largest coffee producer globally.
In the first half of January 2025 alone, India exported over 9,300 tonnes of coffee, with Italy, Belgium, and Russia emerging as top buyers.
The surge in exports is attributed to increasing global demand and the distinct flavor profile of Indian coffee, which comprises primarily Arabica and Robusta beans. About three-fourths of the production is exported as unroasted beans.
Additionally, there is rising global interest in value-added coffee products, such as roasted and instant coffee, which further contributes to export growth.
Domestically, coffee consumption is also on an upward trajectory, fuelled by the expanding café culture, higher disposable incomes, and a growing preference for coffee over tea.
Coffee consumption in India increased from 84,000 tonnes in 2012 to 91,000 tonnes in 2023, reflecting a broader shift in beverage preferences across urban and rural areas.
India’s coffee is predominantly grown in the ecologically diverse Western and Eastern Ghats, with Karnataka leading production, contributing 248,020 MT in 2022-23, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The Coffee Board of India has been instrumental in enhancing production through initiatives such as the Integrated Coffee Development Project (ICDP), which focuses on improving yields, expanding cultivation, and promoting sustainability.
Coffee Board in association with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) has introduced coffee cultivation in the Araku Valley, where nearly 150,000 tribal families have been initiated to coffee cultivation.
This, according to the government, has helped increase coffee production in India by 20 per cent.
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