India emerges as a global coffee leader with booming exports and growing local consumption.
India’s journey with coffee began in the 1600s when Baba Budan brought Mocha seeds to Karnataka’s Baba Budan Giri. Today, India ranks as the seventh-largest coffee producer globally, with exports reaching $1.29 billion in FY 2023-24, nearly doubling from $719.42 million in 2020-21. Major buyers include Italy, Belgium, and Russia, with India exporting over 9,300 tonnes of coffee in early January 2025.
Primarily producing Arabica and Robusta beans, India is now experiencing a surge in demand for value-added products like roasted and instant coffee. Domestically, coffee consumption rose from 84,000 tonnes in 2012 to 91,000 tonnes in 2023, driven by café culture and changing preferences.
Coffee farming, concentrated in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, also supports biodiversity in the Western and Eastern Ghats. Initiatives like the Integrated Coffee Development Project are improving yields and expanding cultivation. Success stories, such as the Araku Valley project involving 150,000 tribal families, highlight coffee’s role in empowering communities and promoting sustainability.
India’s strategic efforts and export incentives position it as a rising leader in the global coffee market.
