Coffee has a deep-rooted history in India, dating back to the 17th century. Legend has it that an Indian Sufi saint, Baba Budan, brought seven coffee beans from Yemen to India while returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca. He planted these beans in the hills of Karnataka, now known as Baba Budan Giri, marking the birth of coffee cultivation in India. Since then, the practice spread across the southern states, especially in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, which today remain the heartlands of Indian coffee.

India is renowned for its high-quality shade-grown coffee, an eco-friendly method where coffee is cultivated under natural canopies, preserving biodiversity. The two major varieties grown here are Arabica and Robusta, with each producing distinctive flavors, highly sought after worldwide. Indian coffee’s unique taste profile—mellow, less acidic, and often carrying subtle spice notes—sets it apart and makes it highly prized by coffee connoisseurs.