Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his joy at the announcement made by Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, regarding the imminent opening of a second cafe featuring Andhra Pradesh’s renowned Araku coffee in Paris.
“Another cafe in Paris – that’s fantastic news! Delighted that Araku coffee continues to gain the global recognition it deserves,” CM Naidu shared on ‘X’, reacting to Anand Mahindra’s earlier announcement.
“The journey of Naandi Foundation’s Arakunomics and the Girijan Cooperative Corporation has transformed the lives of our tribal communities. I eagerly anticipate more such success stories emerging from Andhra Pradesh,” the Chief Minister added.
Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Naandi Foundation Board, had previously disclosed plans to open a second cafe near the Pantheon in Paris. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for mentioning Araku coffee in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast on June 30.
Mahindra highlighted that tribal farmers in the Araku Valley employ regenerative agricultural methods to grow coffee, resulting in a globally renowned product acknowledged as among the finest coffees worldwide.
Reflecting on Naandi Foundation’s 25-year journey, Mahindra credited Chandrababu Naidu and the late Dr. K Anji Reddy for their vision in establishing Naandi to uplift tribal farmers through high-quality coffee cultivation.
Mahindra praised Naandi Foundation CEO Manoj Kumar and his team for their dedication in transforming Araku coffee into a global brand. He noted that the first cafe, located in Paris’ Marais district, has already attracted substantial local patronage.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of our second Cafe near the Pantheon in Paris. Additionally, we have outlets in Bengaluru and Mumbai,” Mahindra shared.
He underscored the significant impact of Arakunomics, stating that over 3,00,000 tribals have been lifted out of poverty, with more than 42,000 farmer families becoming prosperous, earning Rs 1,00,000 in profit per season from coffee cultivation. Mahindra also highlighted the environmental contribution of planting millions of trees by these tribal families.
“This is the real ‘Return on Equity’ of building a global social enterprise brand from India,” Mahindra concluded.
