India

India grows coffee under two-tier shade, intercropped with pepper, cardamom and fruit, mainly in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with Karnataka producing over 70 percent. Robusta outweighs arabica in exports. The Coffee Board of India, founded in 1907, registers exporters and issues ICO certificates of origin, and India is the home of the monsooning process that produces Monsooned Malabar.

ArabicaRobusta / Conilon Harvesting in November

Production 2026/27
6.14Mbags368k t · USDA PSD
Exports 2026/27
6.22Mbags101% of the harvest
Arabica share
25%
World rank
7of 403.2% of origin output
Area harvested 2024
491khaFAOSTAT
Altitude
700–1,600m

Production and exports

60 kg bags · USDA PSD market years
02M4M6M8M201020122014201620182020202220242026Production6.1MExports6.2MDomestic use1.6M
02M4M6M8M’10’20Production6.1MExports6.2MDomestic use1.6M

Market years 2010/11 to 2026/27; the last year is USDA's current estimate. Domestic use is PSD's domestic consumption line.

Area harvested, hectares · FAOSTAT

300k350k400k450k500k550k’10’15’20Area491k

FAOSTAT crops and livestock products, item green coffee (CC BY 4.0). Values flagged as estimates by FAO are included as published.

Where the coffee goes

Supply and use
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Production, Supply and Distribution (PSD), market years. Supply on the left equals use on the right.
Stocks carried in485k
Production6.14M
Imports1.39M
Exports6.22M
Domestic use1.58M
Stocks carried out216k
Share of the harvest exported101%
Rank among producing origins by exports7 of 37

Where the exports go is not published here. Shipments by destination, including US imports from India, come from USITC DataWeb and the Census trade API, which need credentials we do not hold yet.

Harvest

Harvest calendar for every origin
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Main cropTypical US arrival

  • Whole country · main cropNov–Feb · US May–Jun

    Cafe Imports November-January; Mercanta November-February (arabica to January, robusta into early March) with arrivals by May. Cafe Imports lists arrivals March-December.

Growing regions

7 regions

Varieties, processing and grading

Main varieties

S.795KentCatimorCauveryRobusta (cultivated Coffea canephora, Congolese SG2 group)

Common processing

Washed (wet, fully washed)Natural (dry process)Monsooned Malabar

Export grading

Coffee Board of India grades (Plantation, Cherry, Parchment)

ICO certifying agent: Coffee Board of India

Exporter register · Coffee Board of India exporter registration (RCMC) page; no public exporter list found.

Character and protected names

Flavour tendencies

Indian arabicas are generally mild, full-bodied and low in acidity with spice and chocolate notes, and monsooned coffees take this further toward an earthy, very low-acid cup that suits espresso blends.

General tendencies from importer origin notes, not a promise about any lot. The claims behind them are listed with their sources at the foot of the page.

Geographical indications and protected names

NameTypeRegisterYear
Coorg Arabica CoffeeGIGeographical Indications Registry, India2019
Wayanad Robusta CoffeeGIGeographical Indications Registry, India2019
Chikmagalur Arabica CoffeeGIGeographical Indications Registry, India2019
Araku Valley Arabica CoffeeGIGeographical Indications Registry, India2019
Bababudangiri Arabica CoffeeGIGeographical Indications Registry, India2019