Tribes Coffee Enters Bengaluru Market with Direct-from-Farm Sourcing Model

Bengaluru’s HSR Layout has become home to a new entrant in India’s growing specialty café segment with the launch of Tribes Coffee, a concept café built around wild-grown beans, tribal farming practices, and a menu of globally inspired cuisine. The brand positions itself as India’s first and only terroir-based coffee company, focusing on sourcing directly from indigenous growers and promoting sustainable, traceable supply chains.

Founded by Kiran Nerlige Gowda, Tribes Coffee seeks to spotlight the role of tribal communities in India’s coffee heritage. The café offers a curated selection of coffees from regions such as Araku Valley, Koraput, Paderu, Nimmagedda, Daringbadi, Similiguda, and Paduwa—each known for distinct soil compositions and climate conditions that shape flavour profiles.

To commemorate the opening, the café hosted four women from Nimmagedda village in Andhra Pradesh—Seedarapu Gangamma, Buridi Asha Latha, Buridi Munisha, and Addakatla Gennu—who were honoured by the Prime Minister in 2022 for their work in tribal farming. These women were the chief guests at the event, reinforcing the café’s focus on celebrating indigenous growers.

Kiran Nerlige Gowda said, “With Tribes Coffee, we’re not just serving coffee — we’re offering a taste of untold stories. This café is a tribute to the true guardians of the bean — the tribal women and communities who have, for generations, nurtured the land.”

The 1,400 sq. ft. outlet features an earthy, immersive design inspired by tribal architecture and culture. The interiors use curved walls, hand-painted murals, boulder-like furniture, and natural materials like wood, clay, and stone to reflect the landscape from which the coffee is sourced.

From a business model standpoint, Tribes Coffee emphasizes direct procurement from tribal communities, ensuring both authenticity and fair pricing. The company has committed to reinvesting 10 percent of its annual profits into the same communities, with a focus on education, healthcare, livelihood support, and cultural preservation.

Gowda added, “Urban health through tribal wealth is our mantra. The more we procure from them, the stronger their future becomes.”

The café’s menu integrates terroir-specific brews with global food offerings, designed to complement the coffee’s natural profiles. The range includes bold sun-dried roasts and forest-grown beans, marketed as rare and complex.

Tribes Coffee’s retail presence signals a growing shift in India’s hospitality and café sector, where storytelling, traceability, and community impact are increasingly becoming part of the consumer experience.