Karnataka sanctioned Rs 25 crore for setting up 2,500 Akka Cafes, says M B Patil

Bengaluru: Industries minister M B Patil on Thursday said the state has sanctioned Rs 25 crore for setting up 2,500 coffee kiosks (Akka Cafes), which will be managed by women entrepreuners trained by self-help groups.

“This will strengthen the value chain in the coffee industry and lead to economic empowerment through job creation,” the minister said.

He was speaking at the India international coffee festival organised by the Specialty Coffee Association of India (SCAI) in Bengaluru.


The coffee board, in collaboration with the National Livelihood Mission-Karnataka (NRLM), is providing training on coffee brewing, cafe management and entrepreneurship to one lakh women in the state who are active in self-help groups, said the minister in a statement.

He further said that the government is providing scholarships to the children of workers working in coffee gardens and large plantations in Kodagu district.

This comes amid the state is a major producer of coffee. The crop is grown on 2.2 lakh hectares of land in the state, ranking first in the country, said the statement. Karnataka’s Hassan, Kodagu, and Chikkamagaluru districts account for 75% of the total coffee grown in India.

It is commendable that coffee growers are branding their crops and showcasing them here at this festival, said the minister.

The industries department has opened a Kalaloka shop, a government curated retail store, at Kempegowda International Airport in an effort to bring global recognition to the state's coffee, he said, where more than 45 geographical indication GI-certified products of the state, including coffee, are being sold through special packaging and branding.

He further added that the festival has brought together growers, processors, exporters, roasters, cafe and hospitality service providers, equipment manufacturers, professionals and consumers, which is a good initiative.