The story
British planters opened coffee estates in Kodagu in the 19th century on the forested slopes of the Western Ghats. Kodava families and later small growers took up coffee, with pepper, cardamom and oranges grown alongside. Heavy monsoon rain and shade-grown methods give the region its distinct robusta and arabica beans. Coorg Arabica coffee, Coorg orange and Coorg green cardamom carry GI tags.
In numbers
Karnataka is India's largest coffee producer, with 248,020 MT in 2022-23, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Indian coffee brews global demand with exports reaching $1.29 billion in FY 2023-24 (AgroSpectrum) · 2025
GI tag
- Coorg Arabica CoffeeApplication no. GI application no. 604Registration details of Geographical Indications (IP India GI Registry)
- Coorg OrangeApplication no. GI application no. 33Registration details of Geographical Indications (IP India GI Registry)
- Coorg Green CardamomApplication no. GI application no. 78Registration details of Geographical Indications (IP India GI Registry)
Ways in for a newcomer
- Estate-to-cup coffee brands
- Homestays and plantation tourism
- Honey, spice and orange processing
- Coffee drying, curing and logistics services
Problems the cluster faces
- Landslides and floods in heavy monsoon years
- Labour shortages
- Low prices for small growers
- Wildlife conflict
Businesses to start here
Coffee Flavoured Milk (Bottled) Plant →Coffee Scrub Manufacturing Unit →Green Cardamom Powder →Black Pepper Cleaning & Grinding Unit →Agro-Tourism Farm →