Today, the proliferation of coffee cafes in India, with their rapidly adapting and westernising variations of coffees is shaping the way India’s younger generation consumes coffee, writes Praveen Jaipuriar, CEO, CCL Products (India)
For decades, India’s coffee identity has been defined by geography. In southern India, consumers have gravitated towards stronger coffee which sometimes contained the likes of taste strengthening ingredients such as chicory. This inherent geographic taste preference fed into the popularity of South India’s traditional filter coffee for its fresher and nuanced flavour notes. North Indian consumers on the other hand, have preferred smoother, creamier and more palatable cups.
Today, the proliferation of coffee cafes in India, with their rapidly adapting and westernising variations of coffees is shaping the way India’s younger generation consumes coffee. Café menus are no longer limited to strong, decoction-based brews. They are now curated to include pour-overs, cold brews, single-origin beans, and artisanal coffee formats. This wave of coffee innovation in cafes is crafting a more youthful and diverse coffee culture among India’s young consumers.
Where does the flavour in coffee come from?
Coffee as a beverage is as nuanced as most other agricultural products. Coffee plants are hygroscopic in nature, absorbing the surrounding moisture and imbuing the qualities therein. This makes beans from every region unique, with the surroundings playing a pivotal role in imparting certain flavour notes to coffee. Coffee plantations that exist in proximity to spice plantations, for instance, often produce beans that carry the flavour notes of their neighbouring crops. Similarly, roasting temperature, pressure, and grind size are important factors in determining the taste of the resulting brew. Dilution levels and brewing duration are also contributing factors.
Moreover, each new brewing format unlocks a distinct flavour profile. A pour-over accentuates clarity and nuance; cold brews highlight smoothness and reduced acidity; and espresso-based drinks balance richness with versatility. A powdered instant coffee would claim its own distinct taste compared to R&G (filter) coffee. This highlights how the brewing format acts as another crucial factor in the final taste profile of the brew.
While the above captures the natural ‘flavouring’ of coffee, certain flavours can also be induced or added to coffee at different stages of its production, giving rise to fruit-flavoured, caramel-flavoured, vanilla-flavoured, and other interesting flavoured coffee varieties.
The numbers behind the shift
The shift towards experimentation is visible in the numbers. India’s out-of-home coffee market is projected to grow to USD 2.6–3.2 billion by 2028, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15–20%. Meanwhile, the overall coffee market in India is forecast to double by 2030. Flavoured coffees in India have reached an approximate at-home market size of INR 200 crore, and this trend is only expected to accentuate, leading to higher consumption of flavoured coffees.
Culture and curiosity
Coffee shops in both metros and Tier-2 cities have evolved past retail outlets into lifestyle destinations for work, socialising, and self-expression. Formats like “coffee raves” and hybrid café concepts are emerging, where coffee is part of a larger cultural offering. For consumers, experimenting with coffee is as much about identity as it is about taste.
Younger audiences, in particular, are also aligning their choices with values. Sustainability, ethical sourcing, and traceability are becoming important purchase drivers, alongside the flavour-led exploration of origins and brewing styles. This proliferation of coffee cafés in urban cities will eventually lead to a higher adoption of coffee in semi-urban and rural areas as Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities undergo further development and the cultural current flows from urban centres to them.
As palates grow bolder and preferences diversify, India’s coffee culture is entering a decisive new chapter—one defined not by geography or tradition alone, but by an openness to taste, texture, and innovation. In this flavour-first landscape, experimentation is not a passing trend; it is the future of how India drinks its coffee.
