Which Indian coffees have GI tags?
5 min read
India has GI tags for Monsooned Malabar Arabica and Monsooned Malabar Robusta (registered in 2008) and for five regional coffees tagged in 2019: Coorg Arabica, Chikmagalur Arabica, Bababudangiris Arabica, Araku Valley Arabica and Wayanaad Robusta. A GI protects the name and links it to a place and method. It is not a quality score for any single bag.
What a GI tag is
A geographical indication is a legal label for a product whose character comes from a particular place. Darjeeling tea and Mysore silk are famous Indian examples. For coffee, a GI says the name can only be used for coffee from that region, grown or processed in the agreed way.
| GI name | Year | Species | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monsooned Malabar Arabica | 2008 | Arabica | Monsooned on the Malabar coast |
| Monsooned Malabar Robusta | 2008 | Robusta | Monsooned on the Malabar coast |
| Coorg Arabica | 2019 | Arabica | Kodagu, Karnataka |
| Chikmagalur Arabica | 2019 | Arabica | Chikmagalur, Karnataka |
| Bababudangiris Arabica | 2019 | Arabica | Baba Budan hills, Karnataka |
| Araku Valley Arabica | 2019 | Arabica | Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha |
| Wayanaad Robusta | 2019 | Robusta | Wayanad, Kerala |
What a GI does and doesn't tell you
- It does protect the name from misuse by coffee grown elsewhere.
- It does signal a known regional style.
- It doesn't grade the coffee: a GI coffee can still be carelessly roasted or stale.
- It doesn't mean other regions are worse. Many superb Indian coffees come from places without a GI.
In practice, most specialty roasters simply name the region and estate. The GI matters more in export trade and for protecting the reputation of a name over time.
Tip: Treat a GI as a starting clue. Roast date, estate and process will tell you more about the cup in your hand.
Coffees from GI regions
See all →
Double Fermentation Green Coffee Beans
Dumbriguda Collective – Natural Fruit Fermentation Arabica (OR)
Monsooned Malabar
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Questions
How many Indian coffees have a GI tag?
Seven: two Monsooned Malabar GIs from 2008 and five regional coffees tagged in 2019.
Does a GI tag mean better coffee?
No. It links a name to a place and method, but freshness, processing and roasting decide the quality of your cup.
Is Nilgiris coffee GI tagged?
It was not among the regional coffees tagged in 2019.
Read next
What is Monsooned Malabar coffee?
India's most famous coffee style: beans aged in monsoon winds until they swell, pale and lose their acidity.
Where is coffee grown in India?
A map in words: the southern hills that grow most of India's coffee, plus the newer regions in the east and northeast.
A short history of Indian coffee
From seven smuggled seeds to a wave of specialty roasters: the milestones that shaped coffee in India.
Baba Budangiri: where Indian coffee began
The hills where, legend says, the first coffee seeds in India were planted. What grows there now.