Araku Global Holdings today announced the opening of its flagship retail store in Paris, France, marking the global debut of Indian coffee brand ‘Araku’. This unique, home grown blend of Arabica coffee is cultivated by the indigenous tribes of the Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh using advanced bio-dynamic farming practices that ensure top quality and premium pricing. Significantly, this initiative is helping support marginalized farmers, and enhancing their quality of life by working with them to grow the world’s best coffee right here in India.
Araku Global Holdings was formed by a group of Indian businessmen including Mr. Anand Mahindra, Executive Chairman, Mahindra Group; Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder, Infosys; Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Mr. Rajendra Prasad Maganti, Chairman, Soma Enterprise, who have come together to form a social enterprise that is managed by the Naandi Foundation’s CEO Mr. Manoj Kumar along with other trustees.
According to Mr. Anand Mahindra, “Araku is a very new kind of company- a Social Enterprise that is committed to delivering Shared Value, where the business does well while also doing good for the community. We are focussed on making Araku a globally recognized luxury coffee brand from India, while helping improve the lives of tribals in the Araku Valley. This I believe is the future of philanthrophy where a sustainable private enterprise helps serve a larger social need over the long term.â€
In addition to its flagship store in Paris, Araku Coffee is also being sold at the LVMH Group-owned La Grande Epicerie de Paris and will soon be on the shelves of other high-end Parisian concept stores. The brand is also available in Switzerland and will be launched in a range of European markets shortly. Araku coffee is also being sold across Europe on the company’s website, arakucoffee.com.
A particularly unique aspect of Araku Coffee is that it is grown using the nomenclature and practices of wine growing, namely ‘terroirs’. This focusses on the soil, micro climate and region where it is grown, giving Araku Coffee its unique and complex flavour. The Araku Valley is the first place in the world where coffee is being grown using this terroir approach.
To build the brand and ensure maximum benefit to the farmers, Araku decided to bypass middle men, and sell directly to the end consumer. This helps to build a strong and direct connection with savvy global consumers using the latest digital technology and new delivery methods.
