Sometime around 17th century, Baba Budan an Indian pilgrim visited Mecca and secretively returned with seven coffee beans and planted them on the Chandragiri hills. This marked the beginning of coffee plantation in India. This incident spruced up several small coffee plantations and by 1840 the British Empire promoted it as a lucrative export trade. Following the historic line it can be seen that the period between the 17th century and the 1860’s, India’s coffee production scaled high. Authentic Ethiopian Arabica was grown in the hill tracks of the southern Indian states.
Esteemed European coffee dealers pushed the demand and monopolized Indian coffee market. However this flourishing scenario was curbed due to certain economic disputes within the domestic market of India. The British landowners would levy high tax on the framers of coffee plantation who in turn failed to improve the production line. This resulted in stagnation of the quality of the coffee. This brought down the market value and weakened the Indian export market.
Another factor that harmed Indian coffee plantation is the epidemic of coffee rust. This fungus directly affected the leaves of the Arabica trees and led to defoliation of the trees. As an alternative the coffee planters had to move to a viable alternative; a coffee 
plant which would be more rust tolerant. Robusta was introduced along with certain other hybrids of Arabica. Also the production of coffee declined with increased tea plantation the influenced northern India to a great extent in the late 1860s.
However there is no reason to engage in a nostalgic recollection as of present day the traditional coffee hubs of India; Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu extends a huge export market of coffee for the European world. Almost exporting 98% these states grow the “Indian monsooned coffee”, in shade regions. Much of the coffee aromatics are derived from the system of inter-cropping with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Presently reports show that India has more than 250,000 small coffee plantations which are inclusive even of the non-traditional coffee states (Andhra Pradesh and Orissa). A careful retrospection is thus indicative of progress when it comes to coffee plantation in India.
