From Our Correspondent
Visakhapatnam: Araku Valley Coffee, cultivated by tribal farmers under the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC), has won the Changemaker of the Year 2025 award in the Financial Transformation category. The award was presented in Mumbai to GCC Vice Chairperson & MD Kalpana Kumari by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The recognition highlights Araku’s role in boosting tribal livelihoods through quality cultivation, GI certification, and organic farming. The project currently benefits thousands of farmers across Chintapalli and GK Veedhi mandals.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu congratulated GCC, calling the award “wonderful coffee news” and praising tribal farmers for securing stable incomes. He reiterated his vision to make Araku Coffee a global brand, drawing comparisons with Starbucks.
The award cements Araku’s growing reputation as a premium coffee brand while reinforcing its importance to Andhra Pradesh’s tribal economy.