2,500 Akka Cafes to Boost Women-Led Coffee Retail in Karnataka

The Karnataka government has set aside ₹25 crore to introduce 2,500 'Akka Cafe' kiosks across the State, marking a fresh push to link its coffee strength with women-led enterprise.

Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil unveiled the plan at the India International Coffee Festival held at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru. The festival, organised by the Specialty Coffee Association of India, brought together growers, exporters, roasters, café operators and industry professionals under one roof.

2,500 kiosks, women at the helm

Under the scheme, each 'Akka Cafe' will be managed by women from Self-Help Groups. The idea is simple: turn coffee retail into a platform for small-scale entrepreneurship. Women will run daily operations, handle sales and manage accounts, gaining practical business experience.

To prepare them, the Coffee Board and the National Rural Livelihood Mission-Karnataka are training one lakh SHG members. The programme covers coffee brewing, customer service, café management and basic entrepreneurship skills. Officials expect the training to feed directly into the kiosks and create a wider pool of skilled workers for the coffee sector.

With 2,500 outlets planned, the scheme is positioned as both a livelihood initiative and a branding exercise for Karnataka coffee.

Karnataka's coffee advantage

Karnataka continues to lead India in coffee production, with plantations covering 2.2 lakh hectares. Nearly 75 per cent of the country's coffee output comes from Hassan, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts.

At the festival, stakeholders across the supply chain discussed shifting consumer preferences and growing demand for specialty coffee. Patil said such gatherings help bridge the gap between farm communities and urban markets, strengthening Karnataka's place in the national coffee ecosystem.

Branding and social support

The minister also referred to the 'Kala Loka' outlet at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, where Karnataka coffee is displayed alongside more than 45 GI-tagged products from the State. The outlet is part of a broader effort to promote local produce through attractive packaging and branding.

Alongside the kiosk plan, the State government is providing scholarships to children of workers employed on coffee estates and large plantations in Kodagu district. The assistance is aimed at supporting education for families dependent on the coffee economy.

Patil said it was encouraging to see growers themselves branding and showcasing their products at the festival, adding that such participation strengthens Karnataka's efforts to expand coffee-led economic activity.