MemCast
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Early growers doubted Indian willingness to pay for premium coffee.
  • When Matt approached coffee growers, they told him Indian consumers weren’t ready to pay for high‑quality beans.
  • The growers suggested blending export‑grade beans with Robusta or commodity Arabica to keep prices low.
  • This skepticism forced the founders to educate the market and prove the value of specialty coffee.
MattNikhil Kamath00:05:35

Supporting quotes

the growers felt Indian consumers weren't ready to pay for good quality coffee Matt
you had to cut it with Robusta or do a commodity Arabica offering in order to bring the price down Matt

From this concept

Bootstrapping a Coffee Brand in India

Matt recounts how Blue Tokai started with no formal plan, a tiny tabletop roaster and a belief that Indian consumers would eventually crave specialty coffee. The founders convinced local growers to sell export‑grade beans, proved the market was ready, and grew from a bedroom operation to a multi‑city chain.

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