On September 9th, a batch of coffee was dispatched from Koraput to Delhi, needing to arrive in the capital within 36 hours. This order was intended for the BRICS 2026 summit, which included 1500 packets of Tiger Bright coffee—100% Arabica grown in the forested hills of Koraput—for media kits for delegates and journalists.
The request came from the Ministry of External Affairs, which wanted Odisha to showcase a local product at the summit as part of the 'One District—One Product' initiative. The coffee from Koraput, produced on plantations located in areas dominated by tribal communities of South Odisha, reached the international event in New Delhi.
After the Ministry of External Affairs asked Odisha to send 1500 packets of Koraput coffee for the BRICS summit, TDCCOL delivered the entire consignment to Delhi by air transport in just 36 hours.
Tiger Bright coffee, which is 100% Arabica and grown in the forested hills of Koraput, is served for both domestic and international consumption. The Better India examined publications from the Coffee Board and documents from the Odisha government to trace the history of coffee cultivation in the region, understand the principles of its forest model, and see the changes occurring in the district as it strives to transform coffee from a raw agricultural commodity into a product associated with its place of origin.
The Coffee Landscape in the Ghats
The areas of Koraput where coffee is grown include Laxipur, Kashipur, Dasmantpur, Nandapur, Lamtaput, Koraput, and Pottangi. Some plantations, especially near Nandapur and Machhunda, are situated at an altitude of about 920–950 meters above sea level.
The Coffee Board considers Odisha an unconventional region for coffee cultivation, unlike established coffee zones in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Nevertheless, coffee has been part of the Koraput landscape for almost a century.
The Coffee Board records the establishment of an experimental plantation in Bichalkot in 1930, founded by former royal families of Jaipur. In 1958, the Soil Conservation and Watershed Development Department took over this program, partly to address siltation issues around the Machhund hydro-electric power station. The plantations were expanded under the existing forest canopy.
Later, the Coffee Board established its regional research station in R.V. Nagar to develop technologies suitable for growing coffee in the Eastern Ghats and to study coffee as an alternative source of income while preserving the ecological character of the landscape.
Expansion accelerated decades later. In 2016–17, the Koraput district administration created the Coffee Development Fund.
What Does 'Shade Grown' Mean Here?
The phrase '100% shade grown' might sound like a marketing claim unless one considers what is actually growing over the coffee plants. In some parts of Koraput, coffee is cultivated under the existing tree cover, with species such as mango, jackfruit, acacia, and silver oak providing shade. Coffee becomes part of a multi-layered landscape rather than replacing the canopy of a monoculture plantation.
The Coffee Board notes that Arabica prefers cooler conditions and more shade than Robusta.
From Tribal Livelihood to Local Brand
In 2021, the Coffee Board recorded that unprocessed beans from Koraput were transported to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka for processing. Farmers received about 35 rupees per kilogram, while purchase prices could reach 45 rupees per kilogram.
The Odisha government's annual report for 2021–22 estimated that approximately 3000 hectares were under coffee cultivation in Koraput, involving 3200 farmers and yielding 550 metric tons of raw coffee. It also noted that the harvest was previously sold through intermediaries from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
This created a problem beyond mere cultivation: how to ensure that most of the value generated by Koraput coffee remained closer to its point of production?
Can BRICS Change the Situation?
TDCCOL (Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd) developed the Koraput Coffee brand, and government-supported infrastructure has expanded in processing and marketing. The coffee has also gained recognition under Coffee Board quality programs. In 2024–25, Koraput Coffee A-1 was recognized in the Experimental Arabica category.
Koraput Coffee is very flavorful; it is the pride of Odisha. The arrival of BRICS allowed 1500 packets of Tiger Bright sent to New Delhi to present coffee grown in the forest from one of India's least traditional coffee-growing regions to an international audience.
For Koraput, the journey from experimental plantations in the 1930s to branded coffee served at a global summit is part of longer efforts: building value around a culture that has grown here for generations, while maintaining its connection to the region's landscape and communities.