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Coffee cultivation in India traces its origins to the 17th century, when the Sufi saint Baba Budan is believed to have brought coffee seeds from Yemen to the hills of Karnataka. According to local tradition, he planted the seeds in the mountain range that now bears his name, laying the foundation for coffee cultivation in southern India.
Commercial coffee production expanded significantly during the 19th century under British colonial administration, with plantations established across the Western Ghats. The region’s combination of high elevations, fertile soils, seasonal monsoons, and abundant forest cover proved highly suitable for coffee cultivation. Unlike many producing countries, Indian coffee is traditionally grown under a dense canopy of shade trees, often alongside spices such as pepper, cardamom, and vanilla, creating a unique agroforestry system.
Today, India is recognised for producing distinctive specialty coffees that combine sweetness, body, and spice-driven complexity. The country’s shade-grown coffees support rich biodiversity and are cultivated primarily by smallholders and family-run estates across the southern states. Indian coffee has also gained international recognition for unique processing styles, including Monsooned Malabar, in which green coffee is exposed to seasonal monsoon winds and humidity to create a characteristic low-acidity, full-bodied cup profile.
Common Arabica varieties:
S795, Selection 9, Selection 5B, Cauvery (Catimor), Chandragiri, Kent, and local heirloom selections
Key growing regions:
Chikmagalur, Baba Budangiri, Coorg (Kodagu), Hassan, Wayanad, Nilgiris, Araku Valley, and Shevaroy Hills (Yercaud)
Harvest months:
Main harvest: December – March (most Arabica-growing regions in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu) | Fly-crop harvest: August – October (limited production in some areas) | Robusta harvest: January – April (depending on region and elevation)
Vasandh estate is located in the famed Baba Budan hills (Baba Budangiri, the birth place of coffee in India) near Chikmagalur district in Karnataka state. Cradled in lush natural surroundings, this well-established plantation has been producing quality coffee for decades and is committed to an eco-friendly environment.
It is also known for its unique and varied flora and fauna.
Varietal: S795
Producer: Narendra
Elevation: 1,100 – 1,350 MASL
Processing: Wet Washing
Region: Bababudan Giri Hills
Cup Profile: well balanced between body and acidity with sweetness of the chocolate, a hint of spice after taste
Besides growing coffee, the estate intercrops cardamom, pepper, bananas and oranges. Vasandh Estate also has abundant reserves of timber — rosewood and silver oak among the varieties, providing shade for their coffees.
Varietal: S795
Producer: Narendra
Elevation: 1,100 – 1,350 MASL
Processing: Wet Washing
Region: Bababudan Giri Hills
Cup Profile: well balanced body with hint of tropical fruits and sweetness of sugar cane
Besides growing coffee, the estate intercrops cardamom, pepper, bananas and oranges. Vasandh Estate also has abundant reserves of timber — rosewood and silver oak among the varieties, providing shade for their coffees.
Varietal: S795
Producer: Narendra
Elevation: 1,100 – 1,350 MASL
Processing: Wet Washing
Region: Bababudan Giri Hills
Cup Profile: well-balanced between body and acidity, nutty, chocolatey, ending with a sweetness of pear
