Other competitors include the Luigi Lavazza run Barista Lavazza chain and Whitbread operated Costa Coffee stores.

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Lavazza, which sells coffee under its brand to other retailers, recently opened a coffee shop in Bangalore.

WSJ: India's Taste for Coffee to Affect Bean Prices

The Rivo machine uses Lavazza-made single-serve portion packs to brew up 1.4 or 2.8 ounce espresso shots.

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The thumbs-up from Luigi Lavazza SpA noted above is only a part of the newly-bullish story behind GMCR.

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The entrance of Starbucks, an American chain, into the Indian coffee market follows other international coffee brands such as Costa, Gloria Jeans, and Lavazza which has bought into Indian chain Barista.

BBC: Coffee v tea: Is India falling for the cappuccino?

During the year it introduced two new brewing platforms, the Keurig Vue brewer and the Keurig Rivo Cappuccino and Latte system in partnership with Lavazza, along with multiple new beverages and a travel Vue model.

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Italy's Lavazza coffee began its export business in Australia around this time, a whole decade before chancing it in UK and US markets, while local outfits like Melbourne's Genovese and Grinders, and Brisbane's Merlo (Ann St, Brisbane) became household names.

BBC: Caffeination: Australia's coffee culture

Fiat, once known for the acronym Fix-It-Again-Tony, more recently known for Jennifer Lopez ads, has announced that its 500L model will be the first car in the world to come standard with a Lavazza espresso machine, making its debut in Italy before buzzing across Europe.

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