NAGALAND, INDIA — In the shadow of cloud-kissed mountains and amidst the dense biodiversity of India’s far northeast, an unlikely agricultural renaissance is taking root. Coffee, once a forgotten experiment in Nagaland, is making a comeback—this time with greater promise, deeper roots, and a fresh generation of believers.

The seeds were first planted in 1981, when the Nagaland Plantation Crops Development Corporation (NPCDC) introduced coffee cultivation as a commercial crop. But by 1991, mismanagement and the absence of market access led to its quiet abandonment. Coffee, like so many government-backed dreams, withered.

But history, in Nagaland, rarely stays buried. In 2014, a new effort led by the Department of Land Resources—this time in partnership with the Coffee Board of India—set out to resurrect coffee farming in the state. The revival was more intentional: seedlings were distributed, farmers were trained, and clusters were formed to create economies of scale.

Then came a bold leap. In 2019, the state government signed a public-private partnership with South African coffee entrepreneur Pieter Vermeulen. Under the “Naga Coffee” brand, Vermeulen joined hands with young local entrepreneurs, including Kajiikho Arücho and Vivito Yeptho, to create not just a market but a movement.

Their ambitions were lofty: plant 600,000 saplings, cultivate 5,000 hectares, export Naga beans to South Africa, Dubai, and Bahrain, and train local youth as baristas and roasters. Today, their cafés and roast houses can be found in towns like Dimapur—Naga Coffee's humming heartbeat.

A Landscape Built for Beans

Coffee flourishes best under altitude, shade, and care. Nagaland offers all three in abundance. In districts like Zunheboto (1,852 meters above sea level), Mon, Wokha, and Phek, coffee now grows under the natural canopies of existing forests. Rather than clearing land, farmers interplant Arabica and Robusta shrubs among native trees—a nod to both traditional jhum practices and sustainable agriculture.

The result is a coffee unlike any other: slow-matured under shade, with beans imbued with nuanced layers of chocolate, citrus, spice, and a hint of nuttiness. In the absence of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, most Naga coffee is effectively organic. Farmers rely on compost, leaf mulch, and indigenous pest-control methods—a sustainable ecosystem that also appeals to premium buyers overseas.

By 2025, the state reported nearly 10,700 hectares under cultivation, spread across 11 districts, engaging roughly 9,500 farmers. Yet the potential is larger: earlier surveys identified up to 40,000 hectares fit for coffee, hinting at an untapped bounty.

From Land to Latte: A Cultural Awakening

Coffee is not just growing in the hills—it’s growing on the people.

While Nagaland has traditionally leaned toward tea, a new generation is embracing coffee as both lifestyle and livelihood. Local roasteries and cafés are springing up, many led by millennials and Gen Z entrepreneurs eager to redefine urban culture. 

Juro Coffee House, one of several homegrown names, has become a gathering place in Kohima for students, artists, and thinkers. Été Coffee, launched in 2016 with the tagline “Justice a cup,” brews with purpose as much as passion. Meanwhile, the Nagaland Coffee Shop in Dimapur, established in 2018, blends entrepreneurship with community spirit. 

It’s more than caffeine—it’s identity. Coffee has become a canvas for expression, self-reliance, and global relevance.

Mori Coffee: Small Batches, Big Stories

One of the newer faces in Nagaland’s coffee landscape is Mori Coffee, a boutique roaster with a minimalist philosophy: keep it small, keep it honest. Their 100% Arabica beans—graded A and AA—are handpicked and roasted in small batches. The goal? Preserve the unique terroir of Nagaland with every cup.

Mori’s blends balance chocolate and nutty sweetness with citrus zest and a hint of spice—aromas that mirror the complexity of the land and people. Their branding, too, pays homage to place: rustic yet modern, rooted yet globally fluent.

A Future Brewing

For decades, Nagaland’s youth have looked outside the state for opportunity. Now, some are finding their future in the soil beneath their feet—and in the steam rising from a cup.

Challenges remain. Many of the state’s earlier plantations were abandoned. Market linkages are still fragile. Infrastructure is improving, but slowly. Certification remains a barrier for exports aiming at organic markets.

Yet the momentum is undeniable.

With coffee, Nagaland isn’t just cultivating a crop. It is cultivating pride, purpose, and possibility. In every bean harvested from a mist-draped forest, there’s a quiet defiance: of stereotypes, of dependency, of limits.

And in every freshly brewed cup, a new narrative is coming alive—one that says: Nagaland is ready.