BENGALURU (Commodity Online):Coffee, one of the most consumed beverages in South India, has made its presence felt in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other Northern states in India. The consumption of coffee in the non-south regions have grown phenomenally with the northern states contributing to more than 50 per cent of the growth at the rate of 40 per cent year-on-year (YOY).
Coffee consumption in India has increased from 70,000 tonnes in 2003 to 1,00,000 tonnes in 2009 of which more than 16,000 tonnes is contributed by the non conventional coffee drinking regions (North, West and East).
To further accentuate its presence, the newly formed India Coffee Trust has chosen Delhi to be the venue for the next India International Coffee Festival (IICF) slated to be held in January 18-20, 2012. Highlighting the trends in the industry, Mr. Jawaid Akhtar, Chairman, Coffee Board said, "This strong trend in domestic market provides avenues for enterprise development through value addition while simultaneously contributing to creation of skill based job creation particularly in non-conventional coffee drinking areas on the consumer end.
To facilitate Entrepreneurial Development, Board has been holding trainings on Coffee Roasting, Brewing etc. This vertical is complemented by providing support for setting up of the Roasting Units. The growth of demand is facilitated through promoting awareness of Coffee / consumption of pure Coffee through generic promotion campaigns. During 2010-11, Kaapi Shastra training was imparted to 215 participants through eight trainings at Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and as a facilitator for the industry as a whole the Coffee Board of India provides all the technical and logistics support to this flagship event, India International Coffee Festival, being organized by the India Coffee Trust."
Announcing the launch of the India International Coffee Festival 2012, Mr. Anil Bhandari, President, India Coffee Trust & Member, Coffee Board of India said that the prestigious 3-day festival will host some of the most sought-after names in the coffee industry and will connect the entire coffee industry through a series of educative, business & networking and also festive events. "We felt it was the right time to spread the coffee footprint to North especially since the new cutting edge and affordable processes equipment are becoming increasingly available. There is an audible coffee buzz in the north and hence the reason to get the India International Coffee Festival 2012 to Delhi. The festival will be an opportunity for the industry to unveil outstanding coffees and blends apart from showcasing cutting edge products and services of every aspect of the coffee industry," he said.
The profile of participants will encompass Coffee marketers, Coffee producers & planters, Coffee exporters, Coffee retailers and roasters apart from retailing chains. Coffee has changed from being a traditional beverage consumed mainly in South India, to a youthful and trendy beverage with a national presence, consumed in several forms and retail formats. Thanks to the visibility, interest and growing popularity coffee as a category mainly on account of increasing number of coffee bars and cafes. The main reason for the success of the cafés in India has been the significant shift in the demographics, increased urbanization and greater disposable income levels. Of the total coffee consumption, 57% is of Instant coffee while 43% is Roast and Ground (filter).
Coffee consumption in non-south is overwhelmingly of instant coffee only. There is more potential in the non-south, where the occasional consumers are high in number. Converting them to regular coffee drinkers is an opportunity for growth. Between 2003 and 2009, there is a large reduction of non-drinkers but the proportion of occasional drinkers have increased. Thus the potential for growth lies with occasional drinkers and more so in North, East and West of India which are the potential growth segments. Workshops at the IICF 2012 will provide an interactive and interesting learning experience with focus on roasting, espresso-making and filter coffee brewing.
Cooking with coffee will be conducted by experienced instructors. It will be an opportunity to train under the masters, get hands on experience and interact with the specialists. Modules have been designed to educate and train the participating coffee professionals to build their knowledge base and skill sets beneficial for the coffee business and professional development. Whether one is a coffee professional, an amateur, a connoisseur of coffee or even one who wants to experiment with coffee, the workshops at IICF 2012 will have something for everyone. The awards function will celebrate coffee by recognizing achievers in all segments of the coffee sector, be it cafes, coffee growing, roasting or creating that perfect cup. This will include individuals and institutions that have set higher benchmarks and standards in the various facets of the coffee industry. The Coffee Board and this industry not only aims to spread the consumption of coffee but also to develop the supporting ancillaries to grow and support this industry.
(Courtesy: Indiaprwire)
