Indian coffee industry officially brewed most successful year. In India’s calendar year 2025, Coffee exports shattered records of all previous years, peaking with US$ 2 billion, equivalent to approximately ₹17,911 crore. Its last year has also been marked by a significant leap in exports of high-margin, high-quality, premium-brand coffee products that turned this country from an unrecovered global market into a global status marker for the first time ever.
Latest data from the Coffee Board of India says export earnings register an impressive 22 per cent year-on-year growth from $1.67 billion (2024) to $2.058 billion (2025). It was a significant accomplishment in its “value-over-volume” approach. Of course, the total amount of coffee exported dropped nearly 4.5 per cent — to 3.48 lakh tonnes — but prices surged globally and the standard of Indian beans sent the country to record revenues.
A Global Power Shift:
Italy Dominates, Russia Shows the Rise, Russia Rules. The pattern of Indian coffee consumption changed markedly in 2025. Traditional stronghold is Western Europe, but Eastern Europe has been a driver of growth.
The king of buyers: Italy
Italy is still the main destination for Indian coffee – mainly Robusta cherry beans, which is a key ingredient in Italian espresso blends. Volume: Italy imported 60,688 tonnes of Indian coffee throughout the year 2025. Trend: Italian roasters are one of the most stubborn consumers of shade-grown Indian beans, which give them the chocolatey, spice-laden advantage necessary for more premium blends, even at premium prices.
Russia: The New Second-Largest Buyer
In historic status, Russia has overtaken Germany to become the world's second-largest importer of Indian coffee in history.
- Growth: Shipments to Russia rose by 20%, to 31,505 tonnes.
- Product Focus: Russia has emerged as a main market for India's value-added products, especially instant coffee and soluble extracts. Part of the transition has been due to the building bilateral trade relationships and a desire by Russia for safe alternatives to Western supply chains.
Why are Prices Soaring?
That $2 billion windfall is largely thanks to a huge increase in world prices. Average export price of Indian coffee per tonne of exports increased by 33 per cent up until 2025: ₹3.48 lakh to ₹4.65 lakh.
- Supply Constraints: Major producers such as Brazil and Vietnam faced weather shocks (frost and drought) that restricted availability worldwide. “Indian Premium”: today Indian Robusta is earning a $1,000 to $1,100 premium per tonne versus London exchange rates, with high premiums in New York where the product also sells.
- Value Addition: More than an extractive bean exporter (it is now — and even now) India. Instant coffee category rose 12 percent and saw a clear trend for “Made in India” brands on the rise: those with retail presence worldwide.
New Markets On the Horizon — The Path To 2026
The Indian government and the Coffee Board are targeting US with $2 billion marker on rear view mirror. Some now estimate India exports just over 8,700 tonnes to the US. However, Indian exporters believe that a possible trade deal could triple those figures by 2027 as severe tariffs were brought on Brazilian coffee by the US government. Karnataka as the centre of these numbers which are almost 70%, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The world is warming to Indian specialty coffee, and only the ‘Reform Express’ in the coffee sector gets off the ground.
