The Coffee Board of India, in association with the Speciality Coffee Association of India (SCAI), announced on Wednesday that the third edition of the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) will be held in Bengaluru in February 2027, according to organisers. The event, designated IICF 2027, is expected to bring together all coffee sector stakeholders — growers, roasters, cafe brands, equipment makers, baristas and the fast-growing community of coffee connoisseurs.
Festival format and global participation
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 speciality origins of the Northeast, organisers said. Participants from over 50 countries are expected to attend the event, according to organisers.
| Festival component | Coverage as described by organisers |
|---|---|
| Tastings | Farm-to-cup sessions across Indian growing regions |
| Cupping sessions | Evaluation of coffees from southern estates and Northeast origins |
| Brewing workshops | Practical brewing skill-building |
| Live championships | National-level barista competition among other events |
Rising demand for Indian coffee
The announcement assumes significance as demand for Indian coffees is on the rise globally amidst an expanding coffee culture in the domestic market, according to the organisers. That culture is expanding on the back of a spreading cafe scene, rising disposable incomes and more coffee brewed at home, alongside a significant shift among urban millennials who are curious and choosing speciality coffee. The Coffee Board's CEO & Secretary, Kurma Rao M, said: "IICF has become an important platform for India's coffee community at a time of remarkable growth. As cafe 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."
A cafe boom, a young generation trading up for instant to speciality, 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. — Hamsini Appadurai, President, Speciality Coffee Association of India, and organiser, IICF
National Barista Championship at the core
"The championships are the beating heart of IICF, bringing together the people, passion and talent that continue to shape India's coffee community," said Srikanth Rao, Secretary, SCAI. This edition will host the 26th edition of the National Barista Championship, whose winner will go on to represent India at the World Barista Championship, he added.
What the festival signals for the trade
For commodity market participants monitoring soft commodities, the organisers' comments describe rising global demand for Indian coffee alongside a domestic market where consumption, in the words of Hamsini Appadurai, remains 'a fraction of global levels.' The festival, expected to draw participants from over 50 countries, brings together growers from India's southern estates and emerging Northeast origins with roasters, cafe brands, equipment makers and baristas, according to organisers. The event is scheduled for Bengaluru in February 2027.
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