The 6th Edition of the India International Coffee Festival inaugurated in Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 21st 2016: India’s flagship coffee summit, India International Coffee Festival, organized by India Coffee Trust and supported by the Coffee Board of India was inaugurated by Shri. Roberio Oliviera Silva, Executive Director, International Coffee Organization today in Mumbai. Playing perfect hosts to their guests were Ms. Leena Nair, Chairman Coffee Board of India and Chairman, IICF Steering Committee along with Mr. Anil Kumar Bhandari, President India Coffee Trust and Vice Chairman IICF Steering Committee were seen interacting with industry delegates and thought leaders from the Coffee fraternity amongst others at the event. Ms. Geetu Verma, Executive Director-Foods & Refreshment, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. addressed the audience and shared insights on the coffee industry.

The biennial festival began from January 19^th -23^rd, 2016 at The Lalit, Mumbai. Ms. Leena Nair, Chairman, Coffee Board of India and Chairman, IICF Steering Committee said “Coffee is a versatile beverage. Internationally, coffee has transcended beyond levels in the last few years. India for the last decade has recorded a robust consumption rate of 5-6%, it is yet to catch up with the refined consumption habits of the sophisticated coffee markets .It is heartening to note that about 35% of the Indian Coffee Exports in the year 2014-15 is due to value-added products. The 12^th plan has a comprehensive avenue through which subsidies can also be availed for export of high-value green coffee to far off destinations and value-added coffee as India brand”

Talking about the India International Coffee Festival, Mr. Anil Kumar Bhandari, President India Coffee Trust and Vice Chairman IICF Steering Committee said, “The primary focus of IICF 2016 is to create a gateway to India’s unsaturated market through this platform for Indian and International stakeholders. We aim at increasing coffee footprint across the country. The theme for this year’s festival is “Celebrating with Coffee”. We see a great future to retail coffee in the country. Through the workshops arranged as part of this festival, we are encouraging and training coffee enthusiasts by creating skilled resources in the industry as that is the need of the hour today!”

IICF 2016 is crafted to provide a glimpse into the current coffee developments & emerging opportunities and will connect the entire coffee industry through a series of educative, business, networking & festive events. Several eminent speakers, industry specialists and globally renowned experts will discuss & deliberate how coffee technology has evolved over the last 2 years.

The 5-day festival which is currently underway comprises of an International Conference Exhibition for all things coffee, Skill-building workshops, Product launches, Coffee Quiz, Coffee Awards, and a host of other exciting activities. The festival will also serve as a platform for many Coffee Growers, Roasters, Retailers, Equipment suppliers, Researchers and entrepreneurs. Visitors will get to enjoy coffee tastings, hands-on workshops, demonstrations from world-class baristas, a preview of the latest products and so much more.

This year the festival saw as many as 500 delegates for the conference and skill building workshops.  More than 60 companies are exhibiting at the Coffee Expo, drawing visitors from across the globe. Leading brands like Hindustan UniLever, Tata Coffee, Nestle, Leo Coffee, Buhler, Kaapi Machines MK Associates, Swiss Pack, Bunn-O-Matic, Diedrich, CMA, Probat, YARA India, Rabo Bank, Eltex marketing Services, Controlmatic, etc. are exhibiting at the event .Coffee Board will recognize and reward the Best Roasters, Curers, Exporters as well as Finest Coffees at the Awards Ceremony to be held at the event. Barista Championship awards will also be presented at the ceremony. For the first time, through online popular voting, India’s Best Café’s will also be recognized and rewarded.

IICF 2016 will also see the India premiere of the globally acclaimed film, “Caffeinated”. The maker of this documentary Mr Vishal Solanki is going to be a part of the premiere for an interactive talk with the audience.

Startups have completely transformed the way India consumes their Coffee be it Coffee delivery or E-commerce or Cafés or Roast & Ground Coffee sellers. IICF will also play a large focus on this Start-ups who are currently thriving on the Indian coffee scene.

IICF has also organized a Café Crawl in Mumbai during the event, where Coffee aficionados will be taken through some of the Best Coffee Spots in the city, right from the quaint little filter coffee joints to the downtown chic cafes, while tasting their signature coffees along the way.