Coffee beneath a canopy
Shade cultivation and mixed planting are central to India’s coffee landscape.
South Indian coffee × Switzerland
A familiar drink.
A different origin story.
When you think of coffee, do you think of India? Follow the regions, traditions and ideas that make it worth a closer look.
01 / The origin
What makes this coffee distinctive?
More than one origin
Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu offer different places, varieties and traditions to explore.
Shaped by the monsoon
Monsooned Malabar takes a different path: humid coastal air transforms the green beans. This process is specific to monsooned coffee.
Sources: Coffee Board of India.
02 / The Swiss connection
India is already part of the blend.
Its import volume is smaller than Brazil’s and Colombia’s, but India already has a meaningful place in Swiss coffee.
7.1%
of Swiss imports in this green coffee category came from India in 2024.
Where Switzerland’s coffee comes from
Brazil57,798 t · 28.2%
Colombia36,566 t · 17.9%
Vietnam17,695 t · 8.6%
India14,455 t · 7.1%
Costa Rica13,859 t · 6.8%
Source: World Bank WITS / UN Comtrade, HS 090111. Values rounded; accessed 16 September 2026.
Keep exploring
From where it grows to where it goes.
Kaapi Route is an independent educational project based in Zürich. We’re exploring South Indian coffee and sharing what we learn.