India’s largest coffee festival opens its third edition this February, as surging exports and a fast-growing café culture position Indian coffee for its next phase of global growth.

The India International Coffee Festival (IICF), organized by the Coffee Board of India in association with Specialty Coffee Association of India (SCAI), is scheduled to be held from 26–28 February 2027 at Chamara Vajra, Jayamahal Main Road, Bengaluru and this year it arrives at a defining moment for Indian coffee.

As you may all recall, in 2023, India hosted the prestigious World of Coffee Conference (WCC) in Bengaluru, welcoming participants from over 50 countries. This landmark event marked a significant milestone for the Indian coffee sector and firmly positioned India on the global coffee map. Building on this strong momentum, successive editions of IICF have been successfully organized, and today, the festival has emerged as one of the flagship events of the Indian coffee industry.

IICF 2027 has been designed as an inclusive platform that brings together all stakeholders of the coffee value chain – growers, roasters, café brands, equipment makers, baristas and, at the heart of it, the fast-growing community of Indians who have simply fallen for good coffee. Structured around a farm-to-cup framework, the festival spans tastings, cupping sessions, brewing workshops and live championships across India’s diverse growing regions from the estates of the Southern part to the emerging specialty origins of the Northeast.

A festival meeting its moment

India’s coffee culture is expanding on the back of a spreading café scene, rising disposable incomes, more coffee brewed at home, and a significant shift among urban millennials who are curious and choosingspecialty coffee. Cities now drive around 70% of consumption, and while Southern part of India still accounts for 75-80% of the national total, coffee is steadily winning new drinkers across the North, West and East. Indians drink an average of just 0.07 kg of coffee a year, against a global average of 1.3 kg making this one of the most exciting emerging coffee markets in the world, and IICF the stage where its momentum gathers.

National Coffee Championships: Presenting Indian Talent to the World

A major highlight of IICF 2027 will be the National Coffee Championships, bringing together some of India’s finest coffee professionals and emerging talent.

As India’s SCA-authorised World Coffee Championships (WCC) Competition Body (CB), the Coffee Board of India serves as the nodal body for conducting the official National Coffee Championships, in association with the Speciality Coffee Association of India (SCAI). Winners of the respective national championships progress to represent India at the corresponding World Coffee Championships.

“IICF has become an important platform for India’s coffee community at a time of remarkable growth,” said Shri Kurma Rao M, IAS, CEO & Secretary, Coffee Board of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. “As café culture spreads across India and a new generation embraces coffee, the home market holds enormous potential, even as Indian coffee earns its place on the world stage. Festivals like IICF bring growers, roasters and consumers together, and the Coffee Board is proud to support an initiative that advances both the culture and the livelihoods of the growers at its heart.”

“India has grown some of the finest coffee on earth for generations, and now, at last, India is drinking it,” said Hamsini Appadurai, President, Speciality Coffee Association of India, and Organiser, IICF. “A café boom, a young generation trading up from instant to specialty, consumption still a fraction of global levels we are at the very beginning of India’s coffee story. IICF 2027 is where that energy comes together: where coffee lovers discover, where the industry connects, and where the world can see a market coming into its own.”

Srikanth Rao, Secretary, Specialty Coffee Association of India (SCAI),“The championships are the beating heart of IICF, bringing together the people, passion and talent that continue to shape India’s coffee community. This year, we are proud to host the 26th edition of the National Barista Championship, whose winner will go on to represent India at the World Barista Championship. Alongside it, we have the Brewers Cup, our celebrated Indian Filter Coffee Championship, the finals of the Latte Art Championship, and, for the first time, Coffee in Good Spirits, celebrating the craft of coffee cocktails. From the regional competitions in Mumbai and Delhi to the grand finals in Bengaluru, these championships provide a platform for India’s finest coffee talent to come together, inspire one another and showcase to the world just how far Indian coffee has come.”

A nationwide run-up to the main event

IICF 2027 begins well before February 2027. The festival opens a three-city qualifying circuit for the National Coffee Championships, and this year Nexus Select Malls comes on board as the Official Venue Partner for the prelims, hosting the city qualifiers:

• Nexus Shantiniketan, Bengaluru– 21 – 23 August 2026
• Nexus Select Citywalk, Delhi– 4 – 7 September 2026
• Nexus Seawoods, Navi Mumbai– 2 – 5 October 2026

Standout competitors from each city advance to the National Finals at the main festival, where India’s champions will be chosen to represent the country at the world’s leading coffee competitions, placing Indian talent on the global stage.

Be Part of IICF 2027 – India’s Largest Coffee Festival

The India International Coffee Festival invites India’s coffee community to take part. Baristas can register now to compete in the National Coffee Championships across the three city prelims in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai for a place at the National Finals and the chance to represent India on the world stage. Growers, roasters, café brands and equipment makers are invited to exhibit at the main festival in Bengaluru (26–28 February 2027) and showcase the best of Indian coffee to buyers, industry peers and thousands of coffee lovers.

Competition registrations and exhibitor enquiries are now open at

https://www.indiacoffeefestival.com/#competitions

Festival Dates: 26–28 February 2027
Venue: Chamara Vajra, Jayamahal Main Road, Bengaluru
Regional Prelims:

Bengaluru (21–23 Aug 2026) · Delhi (4–7 Sept 2026) · Mumbai (2 – 5 Oct 2026)
Regional Prelims Venue:Nexus Select Malls

About the Coffee Board of India

The Coffee Board of India, a statutory organization under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, plays a pivotal role in the development, promotion and growth of India’s coffee sector.

Through the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) and its Regional Research Stations, the Board undertakes research and extension activities focused on climate-resilient varieties, pest and disease management, improved agronomic practices and technology adoption, while supporting growers through advisory and capacity-building initiatives. Working across the value chain, the Board also supports productivity enhancement, quality improvement, sustainable cultivation, boosting domestic consumption, and export promotion.

The Board promotes Indian coffee in domestic and international markets through trade events, buyer-seller engagements, embassy events.To strengthen the domestic market, the Board supports initiatives that build consumer awarenessincluding industry platforms, festivals, competitions, and skill-development programmes across the coffee value chain.

As India’s SCA-authorised World Coffee Championships (WCC) Competition Body (CB), the Coffee Board of India serves as the nodal body for conducting the official National Coffee Championships, in association with the Speciality Coffee Association of India (SCAI). The Coffee Board of India continues to guide the sector’s transition from a volume-led model to a quality- and value-driven ecosystem, with a strong emphasis on farmer livelihoods, sustainability, and expanding India’s footprint in both domestic and global coffee markets.

About Specialty Coffee Association of India (SCAI)

SCAI is a non-profit organization of like-minded and passionate coffee lovers (growers) with the sole intention of spreading the specialty coffee culture in India and letting the world know about the specialty coffees available in India.

The objective of SCAI is to learn and share all about coffee from all countries to improve in all possible aspects from farm to cup. SCAI is also actively involved in organizing seminars and any events that pertain to the world of specialty coffees and for the betterment of the coffee culture in India.

With its growing scale, IICF aims to evolve into India’s premier annual expo dedicated to the coffee sector and its allied industries. We welcome the participation of all industry stakeholders, coffee professionals, visitors and members of the media, and look forward to their support in ensuring the successful conduct of the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) 2027.