Chikkamagaluru: Efforts are under way to boost the international market value of Indian coffee by expanding the use of the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Chandra Dhrona, a farmer producer organisation (FPO), is partnering with NABARD, the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) and the Coffee Board of India on the initiative.Five Indian coffee varieties have received GI status so far, including Chikkamagaluru Arabica Coffee and Bababudangiris Arabica Coffee.Awareness among local planters, however, remains low, said D Nandini, consultant at KSCST, speaking on ‘Geographical Indication: Exploring Opportunities and Infrastructure for Planters to Utilise’ at ;Harvest Conversations’, organised by Chandra Dhrona and promoted by NGO Vikasana.Nandini said GI-certified coffee is rarely seen in urban cafes despite the growth of branded coffee chains. “Neither producers nor consumers are sufficiently aware of GI coffee,” she said, calling for standardised products, proper packaging and clear GI labelling to help customers identify authentic, premium-grade coffee.Explaining the concept, she said a GI identifies products that originate from a specific region and derive their qualities, characteristics or reputation from that location.Coffee growers began registering as Authorised Users (AUs) in 2025. Bababudangiris Arabica Coffee now has 61 AUs, following awareness drives by Chandra Dhrona FPO, NABARD and KSCST to tap global markets.Nandini said Indian coffee is grown under a two-tier mixed shade canopy and is often intercropped with pepper and cardamom. Nearly 90% of production comes from Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with Robusta accounting for over 60% due to higher yields.Adarsh Gowda, CEO of the Atal Incubation Centre, spoke on the importance of value addition, while Coffee Board chairman MJ Dinesh addressed strategies to enhance productivity and profitability.
