Coffee isn’t just a drink; it is an emotion in Bengaluru. The Coffee Board of India, located in Bengaluru, has been playing a huge role in creating and sustaining a thriving coffee ecosystem in the city. As part of this effort, The Coffee Board of India has been offering several programmes, since 2002, aimed at training more baristas. According to Hari Om, a specialist from the quality division of the Coffee Board of India, coffee giants like Third Wave Coffee, Blue Tokai and Cafe Coffee Day have benefited from these programmes.
One of the most popular of these programmes is the kaapi shastra programme, a five-day skill development course that helps coffee aficionados learn grinding, roasting, blending and packaging techniques as well as introduces them to some of the latest technologies used in coffee roasting. Srikanth Rao, the Director of Bayar Coffee, was a trainee under the initial batches of kaapi shastra, speaks about how he benefitted from this course. “You need to have an in-depth knowledge of how sensory evaluation takes place,” he says, adding that it has helped enhance his knowledge of coffee. He believes that the course will be of benefit to nearly anyone who wants to know more about coffee, in general.
Another popular course is the barista training programme, introduced by the Coffee Board in 2023, which aims to equip and train baristas in the art of brewing. Hari Om stated that the course has had 100% placements since its inception over the years. The course refines one’s coffee knowledge and experience, which further fosters opportunities to integrate with the prevailing cafe culture in Bengaluru, he believes. The barista training programme is offered by Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) certified baristas who conduct training programmes across the country. “A minimum of ten SCA specialists are employed by the board for the training programme”, he adds.
“One of the best achievements for the Coffee Board laboratory is that we got accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL),” he says before going into the board’s longest course: a year-long PG Diploma in Coffee Quality Management. Prasanna Gudi, the Director of Coffee at the Mumbai-based Subko Roasters, an alumnus of this course, holds it in high regard. As someone who changed career paths to enter the coffee industry, the diploma was life-changing, he says, while Sunil Pinto, who now helps manage the family’s coffee estate in Coorg, adds that the PG Diploma programme helped him understand the bean better. “Coffee was only about growing it and selling it, just like any other activity,” he says. However, the comprehensive course helped him understand what it meant to “create coffee,” he believes.
For more details, interested candidates can contact the organisers by email at baristatraining.coffeeboard@gmail.com.
