Key Takeaways
- Indian coffee exports doubled to $1.29 billion in FY 2023-24
- India ranks as the world’s seventh-largest coffee producer
- Prime Minister Modi highlighted Koraput coffee and regional diversity in Mann ki Baat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated significant attention to India’s booming coffee industry during his latest Mann ki Baat radio address, celebrating the global popularity of Indian coffee and its economic impact.
In his Sunday broadcast, PM Modi specifically praised Koraput coffee from Odisha, continuing his advocacy that began last year with Araku coffee from Andhra Pradesh. “Indian coffee is becoming very popular all over the world,” the Prime Minister stated.
India’s Remarkable Coffee Diversity
The Prime Minister highlighted the extensive coffee-growing regions across India: “Be it Chikmagalur, Coorg and Hassan in Karnataka; the areas of Pulney, Shevaroy, Nilgiri and Annamalai in Tamil Nadu; the Biligiri region on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border; or the areas of Wayanad, Travancore and Malabar in Kerala – the diversity of Indian coffee is truly remarkable.”
Koraput Coffee’s Success Story
PM Modi revealed that the discussion about Koraput coffee originated from numerous requests by Odisha residents. “They wrote to me saying that Koraput coffee should also be discussed in ‘Mann Ki Baat’,” he shared.
The Prime Minister noted that Koraput coffee not only tastes amazing but has transformed local livelihoods. “There are people in Koraput who are cultivating coffee through their sheer passion. They were doing handsome jobs in the corporate world… but they liked coffee so much that they entered this field and are now successfully working in it. There also are many women whose lives have been pleasantly transformed by coffee,” he said.
Export Boom and Production Facts
India’s coffee industry has achieved remarkable growth, with exports reaching $1.29 billion in FY 2023-24 – nearly double the $719.42 million recorded in 2020-21. The country now ranks as the seventh-largest coffee producer globally.
Approximately three-fourths of India’s coffee production consists of Arabica and Robusta beans, primarily exported as unroasted beans. However, there’s growing international demand for value-added products like roasted and instant coffee, further fueling the export boom.
India’s coffee is primarily grown in the ecologically rich Western and Eastern Ghats, known for their biodiversity. Karnataka leads national production, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Concluding his address, PM Modi encapsulated the sentiment: “India’s coffee is coffee at its finest. It is brewed in India and loved by the World.”
