Union Minister Scindia Launches ‘Coffees of Nagaland’ Mission

• Jyotiraditya Scindia launches Nagaland coffee value chain mission
• ₹175 crore project targets exports, branding and coffee tourism
• Mission to develop Arabica and Robusta coffee clusters
• Government pushes Brand North East through specialty coffee

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 20th May: Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region and Communications, launched the Mission “Coffees of Nagaland”, a cluster-based coffee value chain development initiative aimed at transforming Nagaland into a premium specialty coffee destination.

The launch event was attended by Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for MDoNER, Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland, Deputy Chief Minister T. R. Zeliang, Advisor for Land Resources G. Ikuto Zhimomi and Sanjay Jaju.

The mission has been launched with an outlay of ₹175 crore under a whole-of-government approach involving multiple ministries, institutions, farmers, entrepreneurs and market stakeholders.

Officials said the initiative seeks to strengthen the entire coffee value chain through plantation development, post-harvest processing, branding, traceability, exports, tourism and capacity building.

The mission adopts a cluster-based strategy with two pilot coffee clusters identified at Tuophema village in Kohima district for Arabica coffee and Ghotovi village in Niuland district for Robusta coffee.

Scindia said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Viksit North East” vision and aims to ensure that farmers become stakeholders across the entire agricultural value chain.

“This is not merely a Whole of Government approach, but truly a Whole of India approach,” the minister said while highlighting collaboration among governments, farmers, processors, exporters and branding experts.

He said the mission has been designed to transform Nagaland from a raw coffee-producing region into a premium, traceable, single-origin coffee economy with strong domestic and international market presence.

The minister also highlighted plans to develop “Brand North East — Coffees of Nagaland” through media campaigns, trade fairs and experiential coffee tourism initiatives.

The project additionally aims to promote coffee farm-stays and farm-to-cup tourism experiences in pilot regions to position Nagaland as a niche specialty coffee tourism destination.

Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar said the initiative would boost farmer incomes through organic certification, GI tagging and digital traceability while expanding access to premium international markets.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio described the project as a major milestone in Nagaland’s agricultural diversification and rural development strategy.

He said coffee cultivation has emerged as a sustainable alternative to shifting cultivation in several districts and offers long-term livelihood opportunities for farming communities.

Officials said the mission is expected to improve value capture at the farm gate, create sustainable livelihoods and encourage rural youth participation in Nagaland’s coffee economy.