Produced in the verdant Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh and sold in cafés across Paris, Araku Coffee is the latest entrant to India’s growing third wave coffee scene. Arun Janardhan sits down with co-founder and director Manoj Kumar for a cup of the brew that’s as complex as making a Birkin bag
Manoj Kumar doesn’t have OCD, but when he sees things out of place – a tilted photo frame, for example – it bothers him a bit. Part of it can be explained by his passion for design and aesthetics. Or it could be because of his mathematical bent of mind, which means he prefers symmetry and order. Besides this, Kumar has a photographic memory and the ability to analyse body language; can speak and understand all four major South Indian languages; spends almost every week of the month in a different city; is an Akira Kurosawa fan; and, if his past could be extrapolated a little, could well have been an Indian version of James Bond.
Only, you would have to replace the shaken martini with a coffee, because Kumar loves the brew. Even if he drinks only two cups a day – occasionally three, if dinner involves fine wine – he can talk about it for hours, and then some.
The 50-year-old managing director of Naandi Foundation, which runs Araku Coffee, of which he is the co-founder and director, has a worthy story to tell. It’s a tale of a former banker, economist and counterintelligence operative who went off into the Naxal-influenced forests of Andhra Pradesh to encourage resident adivasis to grow coffee that now retails across France. The tale of an organically grown crop, a cooperatively run business and a shared economy among thousands of people.
Denne historien er fra July 2019-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2019-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.