Foreign brands to savor Indian coffee

By agencies   |   Tuesday, 22 August 2006, 19:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: Indian coffee market, with its lifestyle cafes and array of new flavors has of late been witnessing an upsurge in demand by foreign coffee retail brands. While British Costa Coffee has already set base in India, Orlando-based coffee chain Barnie's pierced the market last week with plans to invest around Rs 75 crore in the country over a period of five years. Australia's Gloria Jeans, the world's second largest specialty coffee company and American Star Bucks are apparently planning to come in by the next year. Illy, an Italian brand is also eyeing the Indian market. Currently, the coffee vending market is mainly dominated by domestic brands. While Barista Coffee initiated the concept in the country, other brands like Coffee Cafe Day, Qwiky's followed suit. Sudipta Sen Gupta of Cafe Coffee Day says, "Coffee has been glamorized and it is being promoted as the beverage of choice. The growing popularity of coffee can be gauged from the fact that between 1947-96, the coffee consumption in India remained stagnant at 50,000 tonnes per year. However, in the last 10 years, it has risen to 85,000 tonnes,"

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