1. Two species, two industrial jobs
Indian coffee export is not a single SKU. Arabica and Robusta are different plants, different elevations, and different jobs on a beverage line. Blenders who write “coffee powder, any origin” on a PO get inconsistent extraction, crema, and cost.
This comparison is the coffee spoke. Tea grades live on the bulk tea export (CTC vs orthodox) guide. The category overview remains commercial beverage sourcing.
| Feature | Arabica (typical buyer use) | Robusta (typical buyer use) |
|---|---|---|
| Cup | Aromatic, higher acidity, origin character | Heavier body, more bitterness, higher caffeine |
| Common industrial fit | Specialty retail, filter, origin blends | Instant, espresso crema, RTD body |
| Form we source against | Green bean or specified roast/grind | Green bean or high-yield powder |
| Price behaviour | Usually the premium species | Usually the volume / caffeine species |
These are commercial distinctions buyers already use — not lab certificates. Lot-level moisture, screen size, defect count, and roast colour are confirmed on the CoA and the sample.
2. Green bean vs soluble powder
Procurement teams should decide the form before they debate the species.
- Green beans — for regional roasters who want to control roast. Specify screen, defect grade, moisture, and whether the lot is washed or natural where that is part of the contract.
- Roast and ground / powder — for food-service and manufacturing. Specify grind (or mesh), moisture, and a colour target. The beverage overview already notes that automated roast lines can hold spectrophotometer (Agtron-scale) colour across multi-ton batches when the buyer names the target.
- Soluble / instant — specify reconstitution, caking, and microbiological limits. Particle uniformity matters more than origin storytelling.
Intact Global Exports works Arabica and Robusta with roast or green-bean pathways as available. We do not invent a crop-year cup score on this page. Ask for a current sample lot.
3. What to put on the RFQ
- Species split — 100% Arabica, 100% Robusta, or a named blend ratio.
- Form — green, roast-and-ground, or soluble.
- Monthly volume and packing — kraft-lined bags, cartons, or bulk bags.
- Destination tests — moisture, pesticide MRL, heavy metals; any extra assay the brand QA team requires.
- Incoterm — FOB, CFR, or CIF to a named port.
Long-term beverage contracts should also say how price is reviewed (fixed, indexed, or quarterly reopen). That commercial discipline is the same one used when managing high-volume agricultural supply chains.
4. Quality and documents
Coffee is a food product. Export lots should move with invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, phytosanitary where required, and a CoA. The Coffee Board of India is the public orientation point for Indian production and trade. Destination food-law (EU, GCC, US FDA) is applied to the named lot, not to a generic “Indian coffee” claim.
For process controls that sit behind packing and hygiene, use the ISO 9001 and GMP spice-export note as the closest published quality narrative on this site — coffee lots follow the same merchant-export documentation habit even when the commodity desk is beverages.
5. Cluster placement
- Hub: Tea and coffee bulk export
- Sibling spoke: CTC vs orthodox tea
- Sub-pillar: Commercial beverage sourcing
- Enterprise pillar: Supply chain
Source Indian coffee against a written spec
Intact Global Exports supplies export-grade Arabica and Robusta in green, roast, or powder form as available. Send species, form, volume, and port — we return a specification sheet and sample path, not a one-line “coffee available” quote.
Sources & References
- Coffee Board of India — production and trade orientation
- Related: Beverages category · Bulk tea grades · Beverage overview