Coffee sector plans AI-led mechanisation push with support from IIT Dharwad, IIT Roorkee

India’s coffee industry is exploring a collaborative initiative to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-based farm equipment, mechanisation technologies, and tools with the Coffee Board of India proposing a joint effort involving planters’ associations, growers’ bodies and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Dharwad and Roorkee. Kurma Rao M., Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the Coffee Board, called for closer coordination among the Board, the Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA), the United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) and other industry stakeholders to accelerate technology development. He was speaking at the KPA’s annual conference in Chikmagalur on Monday.Highlighting the need to integrate engineering with agriculture, Mr. Rao said the Coffee Board had constituted a committee on mechanisation involving experts and industry stakeholders. The Board was collaborating with IIT Roorkee, which had developed a prototype for a harvesting machine suited to Indian conditions. Discussions were also under way with IIT Dharwad, which is working with the KPA on technological interventions in agriculture.Mr. Rao suggested that the institutions and industry bodies pool their expertise rather than pursue parallel initiatives. The UPASI’s technical research foundation (TRF) could also contribute to the effort, particularly in developing AI-enabled solutions for farm operations, he recommended. Mechanisation, especially harvesting, has emerged as a priority for the sector, given the need to address labour-related challenges and modernise cultivation practices. India-specific equipment could help improve operational efficiency while responding to the requirements of coffee-growing estates, he further said. Karnataka accounts for nearly 70% of India’s coffee production, making technological improvements in the State particularly significant for the industry. Mr. Rao also underlined the importance of sustained collaboration between research institutions and growers to translate prototypes and technical interventions into practical, field-level solutions.Beyond mechanisation, he highlighted the sector’s preparations for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), with December 2026 identified as the expected compliance timeline. The Coffee Board has incorporated an EUDR compliance module into its India Coffee App to facilitate registration and geolocation of plantations.The Board is also working with State governments to integrate land-record databases with agricultural information systems, with the aim of reducing documentation requirements for growers. Separately, it is collaborating with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) on a blockchain-based traceability system, with data privacy and security as key considerations.Mr. Rao also highlighted IndiCOFS, an India-specific coffee sustainability framework designed to recognise the country’s shade-grown cultivation practices, biodiversity and traditional soil and water conservation methods. He said collaboration with growers would remain central to developing sustainable, practical solutions across the coffee value chain. Published - October 12, 2026 08:48 pm IST