Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491365
46 STiR tea & coffee industry international Rohan Kuriyan with father Ashok Workers pluck tea year round reducing the estate's need for migrant workers. Ashok and his wife Meenu raised two sons on this land. He praises its diversity and preserves its beauty. "Taxes are high, fuel gets more expensive. Every year I wonder how will the C- market in New York behave… how will London behave? How is the rupee against the dollar? I'm gambling with investors in the market… gambling on currency. Each year I can only hope that God is an Indian God that year," he says in feigned exasperation. God has been good to Kuriyan more years than not. Adding value The great difference between the last generation and the next is reflected in the path chosen by D.M. Purnesh, managing director and co-founder of Classic Group with his brother D.M. Shankar, chairman of Classic Synergy India Pvt Ltd. The two men are descended from D.B. Manje Gowda, who inherited their coffee plantation from first generation planter I.S. Malle Gowda, whose father Doddasid- dalinge Gowda owned the Kalledevarapura Estate from the 1880s. Purnesh started with a coffee business that was invested in export and domestic sale of green coffee. To this he added roast whole bean and packaged coffee in tins and decorative jute bags for consumer retail. Classic Group, which is organized into several Strategic Business Units, later diversified into promotion and retail. The property management unit develops apartments and gated communities. Its Alcobev retail ventures include brands such as "Bon Vivant", "Not Just Wine & Cheese", and "Berries & Barrels", a coffee shop and wine lounge in Bengaluru (also known as Bangalore). Shravan D.S. manages Classic's Harley Estate in Sakleshpur in the Manjarabad re- gion about four hours from Bangalore. British owned from 1865 to 1950 the garden's 460 acres produce prize-winning robusta and Arabica, cardamom, areca, and vanilla at elevations 3,100 to 3,400 feet above sea level. As we walked the Harley Estate the beauty of the coffee is apparent in its habitat. Coffee trees are tucked under silver oak, jackfruit, and figs. The garden is lush, vibrant with wildlife, and blessed with a water source that provides power to irrigate. Crossing the footbridge over a creek, talking about yield and cultivars, pruning and marketing and preservation I see in Shravan the simultaneous appreciation of nature and business. Harley does not detract – it contributes to the environment – providing habitat for birds and beasts. The estate conserves resources in several ways, such as draining water from the pulping station into larger tanks where it is allowed to evaporate, leaving skin and mucilage that is composted to spread on the land. In 2011 Shravan traveled to Italy to complete the prestigious Illy University of Cof- fee program with peers from around the globe. The nine-month program, established by chairman Andrea Illy, involves 360 hours of weekly lectures. "The experience was an eye-opener for me," he recalls. The culmination of several years of training, his studies in Italy brought into play not just the pursuit of profit but the importance of sustainability as a critical aspect of quality. He enjoyed discussions of the nature of family-owned companies and the role of siblings and legacy issues with those who will inherit the Illy dynasty. "I could see the similarity in circumstance – not in size," he laughed. In the 1980s Illy began sourcing its coffee direct from origin, primarily in Brazil and Colombia but also India. It was the first company to receive the responsible supply chain process (RSCP) certification of sustainability. Classic has long been a supplier of quality Arabica to the Illy family, a relationship likely to continue through the next generation. Marketing matters Planters know well the toil that goes into making a cup. The public however, must be schooled in coffee appreciation before consumers will pay premium prices for coffee at home or away. Dr. Aarti Gupta, Coffee Board of India Chandini D. Maneesh, Classic Group