Category Archives: Business & Economy

Craft of coffee

April 28, 2017Business & Economy, Coffee Newsadmin

The cup that cheers has come a long way. Artisanal coffees are taking the centrestage for the distinctive taste that these possess

Bindu Gopal Rao

In the recent years, wine tasting is a word that most urban folks have come to understand. However today, coffee-tasting sessions are slowly but surely making a mark in the pretentious tasting space. The reason is a clear trend towards having speciality coffee, artisan coffee, and even micro roastaries akin to micro breweries. Well if that sounds like a lot of jargon, it is really not. For the uninitiated, micro-roastery is a small space where coffee is roasted in small batches that allow better control over profile roasting, manipulating temperature and time graphs to throw up interesting nuances and taste detailing. Artisan coffee is about applying artisanal cultivation, processing, drying and roasting methods to create unique and distinct coffees merging science and art!

New vistas

Coffees can come in a number of varieties, even if you ignore the variations introduced by types or sources of beans.

“The brews themselves are pretty much the same — save for a few bells and whistles like almond milk and Nutella, but the brewing methods have changed. The real magic happens in the roaster (machine), with the hand of the roaster (person) being paramount in successfully crafting a product that deserves the tag artisan coffee,” avers Mihir Rebello, co-founder & Roaster, Coffee Mechanics.

Cold brew is catching on and is basically brewing coffee without any application of heat. “We leave the coffee grounds in cold water for about 14-20 hours, and then filter it to create a refreshing, well-rounded, naturally sweet brew. Nitro brew is cold brew infused with nitrogen under high pressure. The nitrogen blends into the brew, stretching the natural flavours of coffee, without adding any additional taste (nitrogen has no taste or smell). The brew is also rendered creamy and full bodied,” says Ashish D’abreo, founding partner of The Flying Squirrel, Artisanal Coffee.

Today, artisanal coffees are taking the centrestage, considering the unique and distinctive taste profile that these coffees possess and offer in the cup. Sunalini N Menon, director of Tata Coffee Ltd and CEO, Coffee Labs India (P), says, “bullet proof coffee that entails to the addition of coconut oil to the coffee drink to energise and stimulate the coffee drinker, especially those who would like to have that extra dose of energy is trending. Besides micro, lots of coffees, single estate and single origin coffees continue to enjoy a special place in the niche coffee market.”

Being arty

At the heart of artisan coffee is the idea that what you are consuming is a special product, one that took hours of painstaking effort to create and provides you with an experience that is above and beyond what the market generally offers.

“The new-age coffee connoisseur wants a ready solution to their coffee desires, and that’s where artisan coffees come in the capsule format, thereby eliminating the hard work and ensuring that a perfect coffee is only moments away,” says Tuhin Jain, co-founder of Bonhomia. Coffee By Di Bella is currently showcasing different flavours via innovative coffee beverage creations like Spanish lattes, diamond cappuccinos, sparkling cloud drinks and coffee from different regions like Panama, Ethiopia and Colombia.

“Every cup of coffee has a story and artisan coffee pioneers want to showcase and bring to life the entire drop to cup process of the ultimate coffee experience,” says Phillip Di Bella, founder, Coffee By Di Bella.

For the connoisseurs

The name of the game is customisation and that is possible by playing with roast levels and grind size. The clincher, however, is the story for each coffee in terms of its origin, the terroir, the processing methods used and the roast profile. Rhea Sanghi, community manager of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, explains what makes their coffees tick. “Firstly, the coffee is completely traceable and the information about each of the farms is shared on the pouches as well as the website. The coffee is freshly roasted only on order and the roasting date clearly stated on the pouches. This matters because you want to consume the coffee within three weeks of the roast date (not the date the pack was opened or the coffee was ground) to get the best flavour.”

Home brewing is catching on and the cafe experience is now at home. Kobid Sinha, beverage manager at JW Marriott, Kolkata, avers, “People strive to take everything back to the basics by starting with green un-roasted beans and crafting our own syrups. Everybody now wants to make everything fresh and from scratch.”

Although maybe not fast enough, the awareness of different brewing methodologies is making equipments such as a French press, Moka pot and AeroPress household names.

According to Tapaswini Purnesh, director marketing and promotions, Classic Coffees, “Food pairings with coffee is a trend that is further evolving every year. If paired right, a simple nibble with your sip of coffee can create a flavour explosion and expose some beautiful flavours from your cup.”

Bullet proof coffee that involves the addition of coconut oil to the coffee drink to energise and stimulate the coffee drinker, especially those who would like to have that extra dose of energy,

is trending. Besides micro, lots of coffees, single estate and single origin, continue to enjoy a special place in the niche market

Coorg to Seattle

The Nullore microlot of Tata Coffee is an example of an artisanal coffee possessing distinctive features of flavours such as orange, lemon, chocolate and caramel. Grown in the Tata Coffee Limited estate in Coorg, block 19 of Bhuthanahadlu division, was selected due to the presence of fruit bat for a microlot. The coffee berries from this area were picked at the right stage of maturity and processed separately. The traceability of the lot was ensured at every stage till it was dispatched to the curing mill and the lot was garbled to ensure 100 per cent uniformity. The lot was eventually selected to the Starbucks reserve programme and is now sold out at the Seattle outlet.

source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / The Tribune / Home> Trends> Bling It On / April 15th, 2017

Indian coffee needs branding push: Minister

April 25, 2017Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Leaders, World Opinionadmin

Bengaluru :

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman exhorted the Coffee Board on Friday to take up aggressive branding and promotion of Indian coffees.

“It’s the age of branding. You need to brand everything. You need to have high profile marketing for everything to reach even the lower end of the pyramid,” she said.

The Minister was speaking at an event where she distributed soil health cards to growers and launched a web portal — a Coffee Board initiative towards soil fertility appraisal and soil health monitoring in traditional growing regions.

Citing the recent example of Araku Valley coffee making its presence felt in Paris with the support of industry, Sitharaman called upon the Board to “break the usual trodden path” in branding and marketing of Indian coffee. “If Araku on its own can go to Paris, Coffee Board should have pushed itself and said — I will market Coorg coffee. We should brand it,” she said. Branding ensures the market is sustained, she added.

Noting that countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and even Myanmar have made long strides in packaging, value addition, presenting and marketing of coffee, the Commerce Minister said: “The Coffee Board obviously is now going to have to be on its toes.”

Sitharaman further said newer areas such as Uttarakhand and Himachal are attempting to grow arabica coffee. “The new growing areas have a great deal of enthusiasm and the energy they have is fantastic,” she remarked while expressing confidence that there will be expansion in area under coffee.

The Commerce Minister also indicated that the ambit of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana will be expanded to even small coffee growers, who have been facing the brunt of erratic rainfall pattern in recent years.

About 98 per cent of India’s coffee holdings are less than 10 hectares and held by small growers.

The Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), in collaboration with the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Policy, has started creating a database on the soil health in major growing regions and rendering site specific nutrient recommendations through soil health cards.

“The card is designed to present information on soil health indicators like pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon and micro nutrient content, among others. It will enable judicious use of fertilisers and correct nutrient deficiencies,” said Y Raghuramulu, Director, CCRI.

Coffee flavoured stamp
After coming out with sandalwood, rose and jasmine flavoured stamps, the Postal Department will launch a stamp that will have coffee flavour.

Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha will be releasing the stamp in Bengaluru on Sunday that will be a collector’s version, Sitharaman said. The coffee flavoured stamp will be priced at ₹100. “There is a lot of interest in Government of India in promotion of coffee. The coffee flavoured stamp is going to induce a lot of people to taste coffee,” she added.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Markets> Commodities / by The Hindu Bureau / April 21st, 2017

Karnataka government to verify disputed land in Kodagu

April 11, 2017Agriculture, Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, Alladmin

Bengaluru :

The state government on Tuesday took a decision to survey the disputed forest land, wherein the Jenu Kuruba tribals of Diddahalli had gone on an agitation, in Madikeri, Kodagu.

After an hour long meeting with chief minister Siddaramaiah, forest minister B Ramanath Rai, social welfare minister H Anjaneya, revenue minister Kagodu Thimmappa said the government has decided to verify the land records of Diddahalli before taking a final decision.

“After a detailed discussion, the government has decided to verify the land records of Diddahalli on whether the land is forest land or revenue land. If we verify the land records as being forest land, then we will make all efforts to provide them suitable rehabilitation area with amenities. But if the land records show that it is revenue land, then within eight days we will ensure that they have the title deeds for that land,” said Thimmappa.

The revenue minister said he will be personally camping in Kodagu on April 16 or 17 for resolving the issue.

Thimmappa said the deliberation was held with all stakeholders and that valuable inputs were shared on the case from all parties.
“The government is keen on resolving the issue and we will try to do it at the earliest,” he said.

In December 2016, the Jenu Kurubas of Madikeri who were working in the nearby coffee plantations had been agitating against the eviction by forest department and local police citing it was forest land.
Later that month, the Bettale Seve (nude protest) by a tribal woman in Diddahalli and the alleged insensitivity shown by cops in trying to disrupt the protest held by members of Jenu Kuruba (a tribe) had drawn sympathy from several quarters.

This being the last year before elections, this looter government will do anything to get the votes.

The Diddahalli faceoff had put the government in a spot, with members of civil society strongly criticizing the move.

On Monday, former MLC A K Subbaiah who spoke on behalf of the civil society, which has been seeking respite for the agitators, welcomed the government decision and expressed his hope that the state will give justice to the tribals.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bangalore News / by Sandeep Moudgal / TNN / April 11th, 2017

Army recruitment rally in Madikeri to be held from May 29 to June 2

April 7, 2017Business & Economy, Uncategorizedadmin

Army recruitment rally will be held at the district stadium here from May 29 to June 2.
Addressing media here on Wednesday, Col Jaideep Sharma of recruitment division (Karnataka and Kerala), said, the rally is open for the eligible candidates from Kodagu, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts, Kolar, Tumakuru, Ramanagaram, Chikkaballapur, Ballari and Chitradurga districts. Those in the age-group of 17 years and six months and 23 years are eligible to take part.

During the rally, the candidates will be considered for the posts of soldier general duty, steno, storehouse keeper technical, soldier technical, attender, assistant, tradesman (dresser, decorator, steward and carpenter).Inerested candidates may enrol their names on www.joinindianarmy.nic.in and download the ID card 10 days ahead of the rally. The enrolment has started from March 30.

Explaining about the recruitment procedure, Sharma said, in the initial stage physical tests will be conducted where the candidates have to run a distance of 1,600 metres. It will be followed by pull-ups, medical examination. The doctors from Bengaluru will examine the candidates for any medical disorders. If the experts rule out any problems, the candidates will be allowed to take written exams to be conducted on the last Sunday in the month of July and August.

The candidates, belonging to the family of ex-servicemen and serving personnel, should submit a certificate that they had not obtained any facilities during recruitment rallies conducted in the past. The candidates from NCC background will get bonus marks during the written exams. No cellphones and wrist watches are allowed during exams. Food and water should not be taken inside the hall.

Those having natural moles below knee will be considered for the rally. The candidates wi-th tatoos on any part of the body are not allowed. The recruitment process will be conducted in a transparent manner.

In-charge Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal, Department of Sainik Welfare and Re-settlement Joint Director Geetha M Shetty were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS, April 06th, 2017

Coffee’s humble roots in India – Planting of the very first seeds

March 30, 2017Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Famous for its coffee plantations, South India didn’t grow the crop naturally. Now a major producer with several hill tracts growing unique flavours of coffee, it is where the story begins… well, not exactly.

The southern Indian state of Karnataka is strewn with coffee plantations. The state is, in fact, one of the major producers of coffee in India. ‘Arabica’ and ‘Robusta’ are the kinds of coffee that are grown here under methods which are unique to this part of the country, rather, to the world.

The coffee here is grown under the shade of tress and is often inter-cropped with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, giving it a unique flavour and aroma.

Interestingly, growth of coffee here is so dense that it might come across as shocking when someone tells you that it all started with the seeding of mere seven coffee beans, which were smuggled to the hills of Karnataka.

The story that goes around in the coffee plantations down south is that an Indian saint, named Baba Budan, once went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and from there to Mocha – a port city in Yemen and a major coffee hub.

It was here, in the 18th century, that Baba Budan first discovered coffee, when he tasted it in form of a dark and sweet liquid called Qahwa. It is said that he found the drink so refreshing that despite it being a protected Arabic beverage and industry, he sneaked out seven coffee beans by strapping them to his chest and brought them to India.

These seven beans, Baba Budan planted in the courtyard of his home, in Chikmagalur, Karnataka – the place now synonymous to the origins of coffee in India. It is from this small patch of land that coffee began to spread over an entire hill – now called the Baba Budan hill – and then gradually to rest of Karnataka and South India.

Coffee cultivation further boosted in India under various colonies. First, the Dutch began to grow coffee in the Malabar region of south India and then the British steered its movement all over the peninsula, where they found the conditions to be apt for the growth of the crop.

In fact, coffee plantations in India were made commercial under the management of JH Jolly of Parry & Co, a trading company. Jolly saw the potential of coffee beans growing in the plantations of Chandragiri in Andhra Pradesh and had a petition sent to the Mysore government in the adjoining state of Karnataka, for 40 acres of land to grow coffee.

This not just boosted the growth of coffee but, post this, the plantations flourished with their production turning into the sole business of many from the region and coffee becoming a major commercial product. Eventually, a coffee board was also set up, which took care of the marketing of Indian coffee. It is this board that we know as the Coffee Board of India, the Indian government’s body taking care of coffee commerce in India.

Today, the coffee industry in India continues to be a flourishing one with the hill tracts of South Indian states dominating its production and the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu following Karnataka in the list of traditional coffee growing regions. Coffee routes have further elongated to non-traditional areas, including Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on the eastern coast of the country and Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh of North-Eastern India.

The production of the crop that started on an ambiguous note has prospered into a full fledged industry, supporting the livelihood of many, especially, in the remote hilly areas of South India.

source: http://www.mediaindia.eu / Media India Group (MIG) / Home / posted in Freestyle / by Surbhi Kapila / New Delhi – March 30th, 2017

Coorg brews a winner

March 30, 2017Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Coffee grown in the hills of Karnataka is making its way to the Starbucks Reserve store in Seattle

Coffee is undergoing something of a transformation in India. Local beans, grown in the country, are finally making it onto store shelves, where provenance and growing techniques are emphasised. Meanwhile, a certain section of savvy consumers trawls the Internet, searching for new ways to brew their daily cuppa using a range of different home-grown beans, each of which comes packaged with tasting notes that emphasise subtle flavours.

Meanwhile, an ocean away, India’s coffee prowess was given a different stamp of approval, when last October, Starbucks sold Indian coffee for the first time at its flagship Starbucks Reserve store in Seattle, the city in which the brand was founded. The coffee came from Tata’s Nullore estate in Kodagu, Karnataka, and was the company’s first microlot coffee. While Tata has 19 plantations in Kodagu (spread over 7,300 hectares), this was the first time that the company’s arabica beans made it to international shelves.

Microlot coffee refers to beans that are generally the best of the estate, and are those that imbibe flavours of the terroir. Arabica is one of two types of coffee beans, and is prized for its flavour, lower caffeine content and almost twice the concentration of sugar than is found in robusta. As a result, arabica is more expensive, and harder to grow.

Place of origin

Walking around the Nullore plantation’s block 19 (where the beans grew), what strikes you is the sense of calm that comes with standing in the midst of a 505-acre estate.

The microlot that was ultimately produced got its flavours from plants and trees that fruit bats propagate, while they make their homes in the silver oak trees above that provide shade to the arabica plants below. This two-tier system allows the coffee to grow under a canopy of trees, which includes jackfruit, pepper vines and fruits such as orange and lychee. On a tour of the block, Mandana, plantation manager, says, “We collected the coffee berries separately from eight hectares of this [block], where the fruit bat population is high.”

Changing trends

The story of the coffee though, goes beyond its growth, and rather is the story of how Tata Coffee is responding to changing customer demands, especially at the high-end, where international coffee drinkers are willing to spend between $10-30 to buy beans with unique tasting notes. Sunalini Menon, a well-known coffee cupper, who is also an independent member of the Tata Coffee board, has been instrumental in galvanising the plantation managers to experiment with microlot coffee. Chacko Thomas, the deputy CEO and executive director, says, “As a result of Nullore, we have 150 [microlot] experiments in progress.” Processing aside, the recognition has showed employees, that the beans grown in Kodagu can be cupped alongside the best in the world.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by Aatish Nath / March 30th, 2017

A KPA Founders Tale

March 30, 2017About Kodagu / Coorg, Agriculture, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, Alladmin

by : Mandepanda B Appaya was a founder and a former chairman of the KPA

I am perhaps one of the lucky planters to have participated at the inauguration of the KPA and still living. The function held at the Sports Club, Mysore was inaugurated by the late Maharaja.

Late Mr. CL Machia who was my boss, as managing director of Coffee Lands Ltd, had invited me to the function. He read a long report emphasizing the need for the association [KPA].

The late Mr. M. Appaya was seated beside the Maharaja.

As I was the then manager of the Hunsur Coffee Curing Works owned by Coffee Lands, Mr. Machia had asked me to attend the function. Here I was introduced to Mr. Lakshmana Gowda and a few other planters. My association with the KPA began when I had to leave the Hunsur Coffee Works after its sale to its present owners. I then started taking an interest in the KPA and was elected from Kodagu as member very soon, I became the vice chairman when the Late Mr. AC Shivegowda was the chairman. We had a lot of problems at the KPA Level. The Land Ceiling Act was published. Although alI agricultural lands, including coffee, tea and rubber were exempt, if anyone had any other Land, both together could not exceed 48 acres. In other words, our paddy, arecanut plantations got a severe blow. Both, Late Shivegowda and I had to toil and we stayed in Bangalore for 27 days at a stretch to solve the issue.

We met almost all members of the Assembly pleading for exemption for one ceiling area of crops excluding coffee. We had an uphill task.

Fortunately, D Devaraj Urs, the then chief minister of Karnataka, who was a good friend from my days at Hunsur, helped us a lot by convincing the Congress party our case. Thus, we were allowed one ceiling area of other crops much against the will of the then revenue minister.

Mr. UK Lakshmana Gowda, being an MP was helpful from the beginning. He helped us not only for getting the ceiling area, but also with wealth tax.

It cannot be emphasized less that he had a big hand in helping us. He was friendly with all MPs, which helped us in securing wealth tax exemptions on plantations. Mr. FM Khan, MP, has also helped us get wealth tax exemption.

I was the chairman of the KPA in 1973.

My association with the Coffee Board began in 1971. I was a member of the Coffee Board for four terms, though not at one stretch. During 1971 there was a shortage of curing works as the business was not attractive. A committee was formed to visit all the curing works and know of their expansion plans. Mr. PG Gurger and myself visited all the curing works in the state and submitted a report to the chairman. We were both traveling from Hassan to Mangalore. Enroute we heard of the surrender of Pakistan after the Bangladesh war. GeneraI Manekshaw was then made Field Marshal for the success.

Mr. UK Lakshmana Gowda who I used to call Bhishma Pitama, was of great help in the Coffee Board. When we used to have heated arguments on certain issues with the intelligent Kerala members, it was Mr. UK Lakshmana Gowda who used his knowledge and experience to solve the issues. Late Narasimha Rao, IAS, once sent me to Delhi to negotiate with Russian representatives regarding discount on coffee sold to them.

During 1988-89′ both Mr. Lakshmana Gowda and l went to Moscow for that year’s sale to the erstwhile USSR. We had to go during December and stayed for eight days. Finally we agreed to allow 38 percent discount on international prices. The then chairman of the board, Late SK Warrier had come with us.

Normally, we sold 50,000 tones to the USSR. But every year the discount went up. At New Delhi we decided to allow 37 percent discount on the International prices.

We had no choice as we had to sell one-third to the quota countries and one-third for internal consumption and one-third for non-quota countries. For sales in the internal market, the government fixed the minimum price. Thus planters suffered.

To add to their woes we had to pay 102 percent purchase tax since we had lost the case in the Supreme Court. lt was kept pending for 10 years before the retiring chief justice gave the decision on the last day of his sitting. Karnataka government, in addition to this, levied a 15 percent sales tax on every bean sold by the growers.

We met even Rajiv Gandhi in Bangalore and made representations to him. He asked us to meet the adviser to the governor as there was no government then. Mr.Rangarajan heard us patiently for 45 minutes but gave no decision. Finally there was an agitation for the abolition of pooled marketing by the growers and they succeeded and now free trade of coffee is allowed.

I became chairman of UPASI in 1983. Mr. Tika Bedi insisted l should take this position since l did not accept it due to certain physical constraints. Anyway, I served the UPASI in the committees from 1972 to 1983.

So my career in the KPA, Coffee Board ended in 1983. I served the Mysore Race Club for over 15 years which celebrated the centenary in 1992 with an eye hospital for the poor and the needy as a centenary project. I was the chairman of the Race Club from 1988-92.

I am now over 87 years old, yet take keen interest in many of the activities I used to participate in.

source: http://www.kpa.org.in / Karnataka Planters’ Association / Home> About Us> History / by Mandepanda B. Appaya

Emergence Of Indian Coffee Industry

March 30, 2017Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), World Opinionadmin

As the divisions of Coffee Day – the B2C service Cafe Coffee Day, in B2B the Coffee Day Beverages, Coffee Day Exports and Coffee Beans is sold to customers

The caffeine buzz has caught up in all cities in India closing the generation gap which once drank tea and coffee. At the BW Hotelier Indian Hospitality Awards & Summit 2017 at The Leela Ambience Hotel, Gurugram, a session on “Showcasing the Best of Indian Coffee” moderated by Bikramjit Ray, Executive Editor of BW Hotelier, the panelists spoke about the growing importance of coffee in the contemporary times.

The session was opened by Abhrajyoti Chatterjee, from Coffee Day who mentioned how their brand intends to serve coffee with passion. Coffee Day is a brand which exports coffee to Europe, Middle East, EU and many other places. They even have 1500+ acres of area for the production of coffee.

As the divisions of Coffee Day – the B2C service Cafe Coffee Day, in B2B the Coffee Day Beverages, Coffee Day Exports and Coffee Beans is sold to customers. Their brand has 41000 coffee machines in India with presence in over 1000 cities. Every year Coffee Day expands in nearly 100 cities. The machines like BMF, Indus, Sienna, Orion are the several machines which produce coffee. It also has divisions such as Coffee Day Lounges and Express Outlets in India.

The national coffee brand has a presence in 28 states, 127 cities and 665 technicians. Their huge setup which is only a backup and then we have our various outlets across India. The variations of coffee are like morning java, classic roast, filta fresh, arabica and robusta blend.

During the session it was discussed how the idea of coffee and tea could be interchanged in the earlier days. However, India is the fifth largest producer of coffee in the present times.

The session covered by Vishrut Gupta, Director Food & Beverages, Pullman New Delhi Aerocity Delhi and Sanjiv Mediratta, Group Advisor, F&B Soution and New Business Strategy, Coffee Day discussed how they are bringing a new experience for millennial in coffee. The idea of an expresso was mixing coffee with chocolate powder. More people are educated about coffee at present.

The QSR has had an impact on the purchase of coffee on people. The taste for coffee being lighter or stronger is understood by people. People liking to click more pictures with coffee is also gaining more customers for this beverage. The automatic machines also gives people the right experience of coffee.

Innovation was always present in food; but was lesser for beverages. Whether expresso, americano or latte, the youth being more exposed to the world is aware of the global trends of coffee.

source: http://www.businessworld.com . BW – Business World / Home / by Anisha Aditya / March 24th, 2017

How this coffee startup founder is pursuing three diverse professions at once

March 22, 2017Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)admin

“Boredom at work sets in soon nowadays. This is probably the reason why IT professionals opening restaurants is on the rise,“ says Ashish D’Abreo (40), on the logic driving him to pursue three diverse professions.

When not building brands as a creative director of an ad agency (Origami Creatives), D’Abreo is either blending barista for his artisanal coffee startup (The Flying Squirrel) or delivering dialogues on stage as a freelance theatre artist over weekends.

Mind you, this jack of all trades has met with enough success in each sphere. His 15-year-old ad agency has clients like Chai Point, Caratlane.com and Bluestone.com. After gaining foothold in the online space, his coffee company recently ventured into the offline market with a microroastery café.

The avid coffee drinker has been dabbling in theatre for over a decade. This weekend too, he is performing in a play called `Park’ at Ranga Shankara. “When I was with Rafiki Theatre, I would act in 2-3 productions. Since my plate is full today , I just invest in one production at a time with Sandbox Collective,“ says D’Abreo, an MBA graduate from St Jose ph’s Colle ge of Commerce.

Question is how did a copywriter arrive at this triangle of work in the first place? “Idea was that when we can ideate for other brands, why not our own,“ says D’Abreo, who launched his coffee startup in 2013.Little did he know that the hobby of selling gourmet coffee from his friend’s plantation in Coorg would scale up one day.

D’Abreo traces the roots of his success in being an ad-man. “At my ad agency, we played each other’s roles all the time -be it design, layout, press visits, photoshoots or menial desk work. All streams flowed into each other seamlessly . Brainstorming sessions, where we switched from vodka to jewellery brand in a split second, coached me to juggle efficiently,“ says D’Abreo.

Each chosen profession gets a fair share of his time every day. “My play rehearsals are usually in the morning. By midday, I start looking into the online coffee orders and the micro roastery. Post-lunch, I dedicate time to my creative agency,“ says D’Abreo, who advocates the joint venture entrepreneurship module for those who wish to add professions to their career repertoire.

The father of a six-year-old also lists communication, support from family and time-management as requisites. Of course, travel and cooking often for family add brownie points besides working as his stress-busters.

“One is constantly trying to wear different thinking hats. However, it’s in this challenge that your life runs like a well-oiled machine and becomes interesting. This juggle is nirvana for me,“ he notes.

source: http://www.tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com / ET Tech / Home> Technology News> Latest Technology News> People / by Smita Balram / ET Bureau / March 22nd, 2017

Budget 2017: Kodagu to get airstrip, blood separation unit, prison

March 17, 2017Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Records, Alladmin

The budget by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday presented a few goodies to Kodagu district. Though the budget has not fulfilled major expectations of the people, it has not disappointed the people as well.

Though the budget announced formation of 49 new taluks, the people of the region have been disappointed that Kushalnagar in Somwarpet taluk and Ponnampet in Virajpet taluk haven’t made it to the list.

As Kodagu experiences heavy rainfall, the roads get damaged often. A total of Rs 50 crore has been earmarked as a special package for the development and widening of roads. The budget has announced development of airstrip at Madikeri. As a large number of VIPs arrive in Kodagu district for relaxation and to tour, they have to come to Kodagu via the road from Mysuru airport. The development of airstrip will boost tourism in the region. A 3D mini planetarium at a cost of Rs 5.75 crore has been announced for Madikeri. The budget has also promised to set up a prison at Virajpet.

In addition, a blood seperation unit has been sanctioned to district hospital in Madikeri, which was one of the long-pending demands of the region. Without a separation unit in Kodagu, the patients would travel to Mangaluru and Mysuru hospitals for treatment. The setting up of the unit will help the patients suffering from anaemia, said DHO Dr O R Srirangappa told DH.

In addition, the budget has set aside fund for the modernisation of canals of Harangi Reservoir in Kushalnagar. A sum of Rs 200 crore has been set aside for the development of Jenukuruba, Koraga, Soliga, Kadukuruba, Erava community members. The budget has announced framing of special rules for appointment of tribal communities living in forests and on the periphery of forest, to the posts of guard, watcher and other ‘D’ group posts, which is a welcome move, felt tribal leaders.

‘Disappointing’
The coffee planters who had availed loans from co-operative societies were expecting the chief minister to announce loan waiver. However, failure to announce loan waiver has disappointed the growers. No special package was announced to check human-elephant conflict in the region. The proposal on coffee museum and package for conserving river Cauvery has not found their place in the budget.

What they say
District JD(S) unit president M Sanketh Poovaiah termed the budget disappointing. There was no proposal on loan waiver. At a time when farmers have been ending their lives due to debts, the government should have announced loan waiver. No measures have been announced to arrest elephant menace in the district, he said.

DCC president T P Ramesh said the budget has announced welfare programmes for farmers, women and deprived class. Special emphasis has been given for the welfare of women. In addition, the honorarium for Asha workers have been hiked.

Stating that the budget is anti-farmer, district BJP unit president B B Bharathish said the state government should have announced loan waiver. “Though we were demanding an airport, the government has announced only a airstrip to Madikeri, which will benefit only the rich,” he said.

MLC Sunil Subramani said no special package was announced for the district. The burning issues in Kodagu did not find any place in the budget. He said the budget is disappointing.

Avinash, a software engineer in Madikeri, said there is a recognition at the national-level for coffee from Coorg. However, the demand for a coffee museum in Madikeri has not been materialised so far.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Aditya K A / DHNS- Madikeri, March 17th, 2017

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