Karnataka plans 2,500 coffee kiosks run by women self-help groups, floats tender

Akka Cafe & Akka Bakery in Devanahalli t

The Karnataka government is planning to set up 2,500 coffee kiosks — branded ‘Akka Cafés ’— to be run exclusively by women from self-help groups (SHGs).

The initiative is being led by the National Livelihood Mission (NLM) under the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihoods. A tender was recently been floated for the fabrication, supply, erection, and commissioning of these kiosks across the state.

The government has allocated Rs 25 crore for setting up the kiosks and training women, as announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the budget for FY25.

Also, read: Karnataka to launch e-commerce portal to promote products made by rural women

The aim is to create rural employment while advancing Karnataka’s goal of inclusive and sustainable economic development. Akka Cafés are already operational at Gandhinagar on Kempegowda Road in Bengaluru and at Devanahalli.

The project will be implemented in two phases, officials said. The Akka Café concept complements the kiosk programme. In the first phase, 50 state-of-the-art cafés will be set up in both rural and urban areas, with SHG women eligible for grants of up to Rs 15 lakh each for infrastructure and setup. These cafés will serve regional cuisine and coffee, with a focus on quality and hygiene.

“Initially, 400 SHG women will be trained as master trainers at the Coffee Board’s head office in Bengaluru. These trainers will then provide hands-on training to thousands of other women at the taluk and village levels, equipping them with skills in coffee brewing, rural café management, and micro-enterprise development,” an official said.

Also read: Karnataka to replicate Kerala’s Kudumbashree model to empower women

The Coffee Board of India recently signed  a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NLM to train one lakh SHG women in brewing authentic filter coffee and managing cafés. The training will be facilitated by the Coffee Board’s Atal Incubation Center (AIC-CCRI-CED), which will also serve as the implementation and monitoring agency.

The programme aims to transform SHG women into confident micro-entrepreneurs through practical training and business mentorship.

“Since its inception, the Sanjeevini–National Livelihood Mission has mobilised over 35 lakh women into SHGs and federations across Karnataka, encouraging them to move beyond microfinance into small-scale enterprises. Currently, more than 50,000 micro-enterprises are operating under NLM's support,” the official said.