systematic cultivation soon followed baba budan's first planting of the seeds, in 1670, mostly by private native indian owners and the first plantation was established in 1840 around baba budan giri and its surrounding hills in karnataka. it spread to other areas of wynad (now part of kerala), the shevaroys and nilgiris in tamil nadu. with british colonial presence taking strong roots in india in the mid 19th century, coffee plantations flourished for export. the culture of coffee thus spread to south india rapidly.