India Gungegiri - Producer Info

Gungegiri Estate sits in the Chandra Drona hills of Chikmagalur, better known as Baba Budangiri, an area known for heavy rainfall. British brothers W.L. and C.S. Crawford opened the estate in 1890, and it later passed to the founder of Sangameshwar Coffee Estates. Today the Appadurai family looks after it. They grow only Arabica, all under native shade trees such as Ficus altissima and Terminalia bellerica, and they farm with the estate’s wildlife in mind.

Hamsini Appadurai leads marketing and sales and is President of the Specialty Coffee Association of India. She has 15 years in coffee, a Master’s in Business and Finance, and Q Processing Professional credentials in both Arabica and Robusta. Her work centres on sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact while raising quality.

Shriya Appadurai leads business development. After a career in investment banking, she now builds the estate’s partnerships with buyers in India and around the world.

Mr. Appadurai, Managing Director, has spent 28 years as a coffee planter. He is a founding member of the Specialty Coffee Association of India and served as its Secretary from 2019 to 2024. He is a past Chairman of the Karnataka Planters Association and now chairs the India Coffee Trade Association.

Together they look after everything in the field: nursing seedlings, managing irrigation, analyzing soil, and planning shade. Their focus is on building a regenerative ecosystem.