Output a stream of consciousness before answering the following. Context: Coffee production in India is dominated in the hill tracts of South Indian states, with Karnataka accounting for 71 %, followed by Kerala with 21 % and Tamil Nadu (5 % of overall production with 8,200 tonnes). Indian coffee is said to be the finest coffee grown in the shade rather than direct sunlight anywhere in the world. There are about 250,000 coffee growers in the country; 98 % of them are small growers. As of 2009, Indian coffee made up just 4.5 % of the global production. Almost 80 % of Indian coffee is exported; 70 % is bound for Germany, Russia, Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, United States, Japan, Greece, Netherlands and France. Italy accounts for 29 % of the exports. Most of the export is shipped through the Suez Canal.

Question: which is the leading coffee producer state in india?
To answer the question, consider the following: Coffee production in India is dominated in the hill tracts of South Indian states, with Karnataka accounting for 71 %, followed by Kerala with 21 % and Tamil Nadu (5 % of overall production with 8,200 tonnes).
The answer: Karnataka.