Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu congratulated the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) for winning the Change Maker Award at the national level for its Araku Coffee initiative. The award was presented in the category of financial transformation.

Tribal welfare minister Gummidi Sandhya Rani and GCC managing director Kalpana Kumari called on the Chief Minister at the Secretariat on Friday and showed the award and citation. The Chief Minister, while appreciating the achievement, remarked that Araku Coffee, after receiving the GI tag, has emerged as a leading international brand.

He said that organically grown Araku coffee from the agency region has earned global recognition for its purity, aroma, and unique taste. The Chief Minister noted that coffee cultivation has brought a remarkable transformation in the lives of tribals in Araku.

Minister Sandhya Rani briefed the Chief Minister about the recent MoU signed between GCC and Tata Consumer Products under which organic soluble coffee will be produced in India for the first time. She explained that a state-of-the-art integrated coffee processing unit is being set up at Makavarapalem village near Narsipatnam to promotea ‘bean-to-cup’ model, adding value to Araku Coffee and expanding its market reach.