V. G. Siddhartha

Personal life[edit]

Siddhartha (now known V. G. Siddhartha) obtained a Masters degree in economics from Mangalore University, Karnataka. He married the daughter of S. M. Krishna, the formerChief Minister of Karnataka, Indian Minister for External Affairs and Governor of Maharashtra.

Early career[edit]

After doing his Masters he joined J M Financial Services (now J M Morgan Stanley) in Mumbai as a management trainee/intern in trading on the Indian Stock Market under Mr. Mahendra Kampani. After two years with J M Financial Services, when Siddhartha returned to Bangalore, his father gave him money to start a business of his choice. Siddhartha bought a stock market card for Rs 30,000, along with a company called Sivan Securities, which was renamed in 2000 as Way2wealth Securities Ltd with vision to set "new standards in the retail financial services in India". Its venture capital division came to be known as Global Technology Ventures (GTV) as well as a site in the city in 1984 and turned it into a highly successful investment banking and stock broking company.

Coffee business[edit]

Almost 15 years later, Siddhartha established a successful coffee business in Karnataka. He grows coffee in Chikmagalur and exports about 28,000 tonnes of coffee annually and sells another 2,000 tonnes locally for about Rs 350 million each year. His coffee growing and trading company, Amalgamated Bean Company (ABC), has an annual turnover of Rs 25 billion. Siddhartha now has 200 exclusive retail outlets selling his brand of Coffee Day powder all over South India. ABC is India's largest exporter of green coffee.

He owns 12,000 acres (4047 ha) of coffee plantations.[1]

He started his coffee trading company ABC in 1993, with a Rs 60 million turnover. His company grew gradually. He bought an ailing coffee curing unit in Hassan for Rs 40 million and turned it around. Now, his company has a curing capacity of 75,000 tonnes, which is the largest in the country.[2]

He was the first entrepreneur in Karnataka to set up a cyber café in 1996 (Café Coffee Day, a chain of youth hangout coffee parlors). Now, he has 1,407 Coffee Day Cafes in India. Siddhartha also hopes to win the contract to take his chain to all the airports of Karnataka and then to the rest of the country. His cyber cafes attract at least 40,000 to 50,000 visitors a week.[3]

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Siddhartha was awarded the Entrepreneur of the year title in 2003 by The Economic Times for "crafting a successful pan Indian brand for a commodity business and giving Indian consumers a new lifestyle experience that is within reach of the common man".

Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company Ltd. today is the largest exporter of green coffee from India and perhaps one of the two fully integrated coffee companies of Asia, involved in all sectors of coffee from plantations to retailing to exports. Coffee Day Group today is the only fully integrated and the largest coffee conglomerate in India and is credited with creating the "coffee revolution" in India - acknowledged by the Coffee Board of India Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company Ltd.. From a handful of cafés in six cites in the first five years, Café Coffee Day has become India's largest and premier retail chain of cafes with 1,438 cafes in 135 cities.

Other businesses[edit]

Siddhartha also founded Global Technology Ventures Ltd. in 2000, a company that identifies, invests and mentors Indian companies engaged in cutting edge technologies. Currently,[when?] he also holds board seats in GTV, Mindtree, Liqwid Krystal, Way2Wealth and Ittiam. GTV has now set up a global technology village on a 59-acre (240,000 m2)technology incubator park in Bangalore, which will provide office space, communication links, recreational facilities and even a commercial centre. GTV was valued by BankAm at $100 million last year,[when?] and is expected to have doubled its valuation this year.[when?] It is poised to grow on the lines of Softbank of Japan.[4]

Banana exports[edit]

He has planted banana trees on 3,000 acres (1,214 ha) and plans to export bananas.[5]

Daffco Furniture[edit]

He owns a furniture company called The Dark Forest Furniture Company, named after Kathale Kaad Estate (Black Forrest), his estate in Chickamagalur, which is venturing into furniture by building a 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) factory in Chikmagalur, Karnataka,[6] which will use timber from his coffee plantations in India and a rainforest in Guyana.[7] It initially plans to supply furniture to Cafe Coffee Day outlets. However, the construction of the facility is yet to begin.[8]

Logistics[edit]

A majority stake in SICAL Logistics was purchased by him. It has acquired coal mines in New Jersey. SICAL will become one of the multibagger in coming days as per his view.[9]

Our CompanyLocated in Bangalore, a city that has grown from a pensioner's paradise to the country's Silicon Valley, Coffee Day has become an icon for good coffee. Strategists, researchers, subject matter experts, marketing and sales

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professionals, farmers, coffee growers, retailers and sales force comprise Coffee Day's workforce.The heritage concept of coffee, dating from over 140 years has been nurtured with care by V G Siddhartha, Chairman of Coffee Day Company. Launched in 1994, the Group is now a Rs. 500 crore, ISO 9002 certified company, making its mark across the coffee value chain. The offshoots include over 1000 Café Coffee Day joints, around 400 Fresh & Ground stores, over 1000 Coffee Day Xpress kiosks, and a sizeable 10,000 vending machines from Coffee Day Beverages. ---------------------------

Cafe Coffee Day is India's favourite coffee shop for the young and the young at heart. We're part of India's largest coffee conglomerate, Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company Limited (ABCTCL). In Asia, ABCTCL is the second largest in terms of coffee estate ownership which means it has a rich and abundant source of coffee. There are also 11,000 small growers whom we source from and who make us who we are and we're glad to be a part of their lives. Popularly known as CCD, we strive to provide the best experience to our guests. To put it plainly, we brought in the concept of cafes to India (this is where you thank us!). The first one opened in 1996 on Brigade Road in Bangalore and continues to be one of the most happening places in the city. The young and the young at heart immediately took to the place. A smart, simple space that they could call their own for a while… sit down, talk and listen to conversations, hold short meetings or even have a lot of good fun…all over steaming cups of coffee. CCD today is totally in tune with its target audience. It’s a strong relationship the brand shares. It's been an exciting journey since then, becoming the largest organized retail cafe chain in the country. What's more if your travels take you to Vienna, Austria or the Czech Republic, do stop by our CCDs there for the taste of a blend from home.RANGE OF OUTLETS!

Café Coffee Day – A lot can happen over coffee Launched in 1996 in Bangalore, India. Over 1500+ cafes spread across 200 cities/towns across India. Single largest aggregator of youth in the retail space in India. Over 300,000 guests walking into the café on a daily basis across the country. Vertical domination and presence. First consolidated and pure coffee outlet to find its footprint across the globe.

 

The Lounge Wider range of Food & Beverages addressing meal needs as well. Targeting a more mature and affluent group of customers. An expressive, explorative space (owing to the alternate coffee drinking experiences and world cuisine

options) conducive to network and ofcourse to unwind. 50 outlets spread across key cities.

 

The Square Premium range of cafes serving Single Origin Coffees from around the world. Perfect variety of food that complements the wide range of coffees. Showcasing a boutique of brewing systems and coffee beans from around the world. Catering to the absolute connoisseur and the well-traveled. 4 outlets 1 in Bangalore, 1 in Chennai and 2 in Delhi.

 XPRESS Outlets

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The stand up, walk away, take away Xpress café…It's coffee anytime and anywhere!Hot, piping coffee is most welcome anytime, anywhere. It's something that lets you perk up, when you need a 'zing' to life

Caters to the mobile population of a city – always on the move, always in a hurry. Packaged in an area of just 60 square feet.

Believes in 'keeping it short and sweet'! Present in all the key city spots. 'Wherever you go, I am there'…that's the motto. No elaborate decorations, just fresh, delicious snacks and steaming beverages that come in convenient

sizes. Just buy, sip, bite or munch…a smarter and more efficient way of staying ahead of times! Total outlets : 500+. Find us in Shopping malls, Supermarkets, Multiplexes, Corporates, Airports, Railway stations, Depots,

Petrol pumps, Parks, Educational Institutions etc. 

CCD this year was bestowed with the prestigious ISO 22000:2005 certification by the internationally acclaimed DNV Business Assurance Food Safety System for its Food Safety management systems in cafes. This certificate covers the mandate of handling, preparing and serving food and beverages in the Café Coffee Day (CCD) cafes, Coffee Day Lounge cafes (CDL), Coffee Day Square cafes and Fresh Assembly Centres (FACs wherein café food is assembled before sending them out to cafes across).The Company is one of the first large scale food and beverage retailers to have received such an honour with respect to so many key business units.

GROUP COMPANIES1) Coffee Day BeveragesCoffee Day Beverages deals with dispensing machines that provide, at the touch of a button, hot coffee and tea, flavoured milk and even soups through its machines called Celesta. Just like heavenly music that flows to soothe tired nerves and perk up withered souls, Celesta dispenses beverages the way you need them.

ISO 9001:2008 certified for Design, Development and production of coffee and beverage vending machines compliance to CE. 

Visit www.coffeedaybeverages.com for more details.2) Coffee Day Fresh & GroundFreshly ground coffee in mix and match flavors and ratios is the specialty of Fresh & Ground. Fresh & Ground stores in markets and shopping points cater to coffee lovers who love to make their own filtered coffee at home. This traditional-thinking, quality conscious shopper is a royal customer. They look out for freshness and quality, but want to throw in a bit of their own character too. The freshly procured coffee from plantations are packaged in the most hygienic way to ensure consistency in freshness. Fresh & Ground specializes in authentic filter coffee with region specific blends of coffee and tea customized to demand. Besides an affordable array of coffee powders, we also retail tea to the tea-maker too. Visitwww.coffeedayfng.com for more details.3) Coffee Day ExportsCoffee Day Exports is truly the leader in growing, trading, retailing and exporting world-class coffee. Asia's largest integrated coffee company with the second largest network of coffee estates has a rich heritage of over 140 years. Coffee Day Exports is one of the largest exporters of green coffee in India, since 1999. We also export to United States, Europe and Japan. It has invested in research and

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development and applied the learning successfully to improve the promotion of various coffee blends and augment its exports.

First company in India to receive UTZ certification. 

Coffee Day Exports strongly believes that their responsibility begins with the origins of the coffee bean - right from ensuring ethical growing practices to packaging and retailing the product for their customers. Coffee Day Exports is well versed with the experience and technological proficiencies to provide its customers with a wide assortment of well-positioned products. With regular feedbacks from customers and advisors, and backed by research, Coffee Day Exports continues to enhance their products. Visit www.coffeedayexport.com for more details.4) Coffee Day Hotels & Resorts2008 was a landmark year for ABCTCL. The café chain was soaring ahead, and our reputation for customer service and innovativeness was second to none. At this point of time, we decided to invite our friends and extended family to the coffee estates themselves to experience, first-hand, the serene slopes on which their cherished coffee grew.

Coffee Day Hotels & Resorts was formed as a subsidiary of ABCTCL, the iconic Chikmagalur resort of The Serai was declared open. The philosophy was single-minded - to open exclusive retreats in the quietest corners of the country and to offer an experience drenched in luxury and understated elegance. It is a place where one would come to be pampered like nowhere else. The Serai, Chikmagalur, as the first such resort did this job brilliantly, nestled as it was in the greens of the lush coffee plantations around. The concept was so appreciated that we took these resorts to other reclusive niches – to Bandipur and Kabini – and will be opening more of the finest resorts in the country – in the near future. 

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