Explainer
Indian coffee regions, compared
Where India's coffee grows, how much each region produces, which have a GI tag, and the most recommended coffee from each.
Karnataka grows most of India's coffee: 254,575 of the 360,500 tonnes produced in 2023–24, according to the Coffee Board, almost all of it from Kodagu (Coorg), Chikmagalur and Hassan. Wayanad in Kerala is the biggest producer outside Karnataka. Specialty roasters lean heavily on Chikmagalur, which accounts for 418 of the 720 coffees we list that name a region.
| Region | State | Production, 2023–24 | GI tag | Coffees we list | Median per 250g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chikmagalur | Karnataka | 85,155 t | Chikmagalur Arabica, Bababudangiris Arabica | 418 | ₹800 |
| Coorg (Kodagu) | Karnataka | 132,620 t* | Coorg Arabica | 80 | ₹700 |
| Sakleshpur | Karnataka | Hassan: 36,800 t | – | 46 | ₹855 |
| BR Hills | Karnataka | With Kodagu* | – | 19 | ₹640 |
| Wayanad | Kerala | 61,950 t | Wayanaad Robusta | 11 | ₹490 |
| Pulneys | Tamil Nadu | 8,440 t | – | 20 | ₹950 |
| Shevaroys | Tamil Nadu | 3,925 t | – | 36 | ₹749 |
| Araku | Andhra Pradesh | Andhra Pradesh: 12,210 t | Araku Valley Arabica | 17 | ₹800 |
| Koraput | Odisha | Odisha: 465 t | – | 38 | ₹800 |
| Northeast | North-eastern states | 160 t | – | 28 | ₹735 |
*The Coffee Board's Kodagu figure includes neighbouring Chamarajanagar district, where the BR Hills are. A GI (Geographical Indication) tag protects a region's name for coffee grown there.
Which Indian coffee region is best?
There isn't one: a coffee's farm, processing and roast shape the cup as much as the district it grew in. What the regions do differ in is what they grow: Wayanad grows only Robusta, the Shevaroys only Arabica, and Coorg mostly Robusta. If you drink your coffee black and like it bright, look for Arabica, which specialty roasters mostly buy from Chikmagalur, the BR Hills and Araku. If you want a strong cup for milk, Robusta from Coorg or Wayanad is heavier and usually cheaper.
What is Chikmagalur coffee?
Coffee from Chikmagalur district in Karnataka, where coffee growing in India began: the government's GI announcement calls the Bababudangiri hills, in the middle of the district, the birthplace of coffee in India. The district grew 47,280 tonnes of Robusta and 37,875 of Arabica in 2023–24, and both Chikmagalur Arabica and Bababudangiris Arabica have GI tags. Roasters most often describe its coffees with caramel, chocolate and stone fruit notes, and Vienna Roast from Blue Tokai Coffee is the one people recommend most.
What is Coorg coffee?
Coffee from Kodagu, better known as Coorg, India's biggest coffee district at 132,620 tonnes in 2023–24. About six in every seven tonnes are Robusta, though Coorg Arabica has its own GI tag. Among the 80 Coorg coffees we list, the most recommended is Sandalwood Estate from Blue Tokai Coffee.
Where is Sakleshpur coffee grown?
In Hassan district, Karnataka, which grew 36,800 tonnes in 2023–24, more of it Robusta than Arabica. Specialty Sakleshpur coffees have a median of ₹855 per 250g. People recommend Salawara Estate from Blue Tokai Coffee more than any other.
What is BR Hills coffee?
Coffee from the Biligiriranga (BR) Hills in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, which Blue Tokai says are among the highest coffee-growing areas in India. The Coffee Board counts the district with Kodagu. The most recommended coffee from there is Attikan Estate from Blue Tokai Coffee.
What is Wayanad coffee?
Robusta from Wayanad district in Kerala. The district grows no Arabica in the Coffee Board's figures, and its 61,950 tonnes in 2023–24 were the most of any district outside Karnataka. Wayanaad Robusta has a GI tag, and at a median of ₹490 per 250g it's one of the cheaper regions to buy from.
What is Araku coffee?
Arabica from the hills of Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring Odisha region, grown at 900 to 1,100 metres. The government's GI notice says the tribal farmers who grow it follow an organic approach. Andhra Pradesh grew 12,210 tonnes in 2023–24, almost all Arabica. If you only try one, Selection from Araku Coffee is the Araku coffee people recommend most.
Where is Koraput coffee grown?
In Koraput district, Odisha. The whole state grew only 465 tonnes in 2023–24, yet 13 roasters sell Koraput coffee on our site, most often described with caramel, chocolate and red fruit notes.
What are the Shevaroys and the Pulneys?
Two hill ranges in Tamil Nadu that grow almost only Arabica. The Shevaroys, in Salem district, grew 3,925 tonnes in 2023–24, all of it Arabica; the most recommended coffee from there is Amaltas Blend from Blue Tokai Coffee. The Pulneys grew 8,440 tonnes, 7,950 of them Arabica.
Is coffee grown in Northeast India?
Yes, on a small scale: the Coffee Board's North Eastern Region grew 160 tonnes in 2023–24. Coffee from the Northeast is sold by 9 roasters on our site.
Where these facts come from
- Production by district and state, 2023–24: Coffee Board of India, Database on Coffee, July 2024 (tables 1.8 and 1.10).
- GI tags, the Bababudangiris description and Araku's elevation and farming: Press Information Bureau, GI certification for five varieties of Indian coffee, 29 March 2019.
- Counts, prices, flavour families and recommendations: the coffees we list, as their roasters describe them. A coffee counts under a region only when its roaster names it.