India’s Coffee Exports Hits New Milestones, Reaches Rs. 3,312 Crores in Apr-Sep 2022

Coffee exports nearly doubled to Rs 3,312 crore from April to September this fiscal year, up from Rs 1,657 crore. Indian Coffee exports hitting new milestones. India’s export of coffee rose to almost 2 times in April-September 2022 over the same period in 2013, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted.

India is the third-largest producer and exporter of commodity in Asia. In addition to instant coffee, India ships both Robusta and Arabica varieties.

India's major export destinations include Italy, Germany, and Belgium in terms of coffee.

The export was Rs 1657 crore in the financial year 2013-2014 from April to September and in 2022-23, the same period it’s Rs 3312 crore, which is nearly double.

Saga of Indian Coffee:

The saga of Indian coffee began on a humble note, with the planting of ‘Seven seeds’ of ‘Mocha’ during 1600 AD by the legendary holy saint Baba Budan, in the courtyard of his hermitage on ‘Baba Budan Giris’ in Karnataka. For quite a considerable period, the plants remained as a garden curiosity and spread slowly as backyard plantings.

• It was during the 18th century that the commercial plantations of coffee were started, thanks to the success of British entrepreneurs in conquering the hostile forest terrain in south India.

• Since then, the Indian coffee industry has made rapid strides and earned a distinct identity in the coffee map of the world.

• Coffee in India is grown under a canopy of thick natural shade in ecologically sensitive regions of the Western and Eastern Ghats. This is one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots of the world. Coffee contributes significantly to sustaining the region’s unique biodiversity and is also responsible for the socio-economic development in remote, hilly areas.

(This information on Indian Coffee Saga is collected from Coffee Board, GoI. No alterations have been made by the KJ Staff)

India is one of the top ten coffee-producing countries, accounting for about 3% of global output in 2020. Due to its high quality, Indian coffee is titled as one of the best in the world and commands a high premium in international markets.

Arabica and Robusta coffee are grown in India. Because of its mild aromatic flavor, Arabica coffee has a higher market value than Robusta coffee. Because of its strong flavor, Robusta coffee is primarily used in the preparation of various blends. Robusta is the most commonly produced coffee, accounting for 72% of total production. More than 2 million people in India are directly employed by the industry. Since coffee is mainly an export commodity for India, domestic demand and consumption do not drastically impact the prices of coffee.

The southern part of India produces the majority of coffee. Karnataka is India's largest producer, accounting for roughly 70% of total coffee production. Kerala is the second-largest coffee producer, but it accounts for only about 23% of total production. Tamil Nadu is India's third-largest producer, producing 6% of the country's coffee. The Nilgiri district, a major Arabica growing region, produces nearly half of Tamil Nadu's coffee. The production in Orissa and the north-eastern areas are lower.