For over three decades, Nandan Coffee has quietly built a legacy rooted in quality, sustainability, and a deep respect for its origins. What began as a coffee estate in Kodaikanal has evolved into one of India’s most exciting homegrown coffee brands, bringing estate-grown beans, thoughtfully designed cafés, and a fresh perspective on coffee culture to a new generation of consumers. The brand recently opened its first Bengaluru flagship cafe after a flagship cafe and a few outlets in Mumbai.
In this conversation with Yahvi Mariwala, co-founder of Nandan Coffee, we speak to the brand’s young leader about growing up surrounded by coffee, carrying forward a family legacy, making specialty coffee more approachable, and why Indian coffee is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
unstumbled: Nandan Coffee has been around for over three decades, evolving from a coffee estate into a modern brand that resonates with today’s consumers. Looking back, what lessons from your grandparents continue to inspire the journey today?
Yahvi Mariwala: Nandan Coffee was founded on incredibly strong values: taking care of the environment, creating a high-quality product, and doing everything in an ethical way. We weren’t simply following a trend because sustainability or organic farming had become popular. We’ve been committed to those principles for decades. In fact, we’ve held our organic certification since 2001, and that’s something that continues to inspire me every day.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my grandparents is the importance of setting exceptionally high standards, not just for the product, but for the way the company operates. They taught us to stay focused on our own journey instead of getting distracted by what everyone else is doing. The question has always been, “What’s the best product we can create?” rather than “What’s trending?” That mindset has shaped the company and continues to guide us today.
unstumbled: What are some of your earliest memories of coffee, and how do they continue to influence the way you approach business today?
Yahvi Mariwala: My earliest memories of coffee and the way I think about business only overlap to a certain extent because those memories go back to when I was a child.
One of my strongest memories is the aroma of coffee roasting. Our roastery is located on the estate itself, and it’s one of the most nostalgic and comforting scents for me. I spent a lot of time walking around the estate with my parents and grandparents, and those moments remain incredibly special.
What stayed with me most was the attention to detail: from how the coffee was grown to how it was roasted. Even today, whenever we make a business decision, we think about how it’s going to impact the environment, our team, and our customers. That approach comes directly from growing up around the estate and seeing those values in action every day.
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unstumbled: When did you realize that coffee was the industry you wanted to build your career in?
Yahvi Mariwala: I was fairly young at the time and had tried a couple of internships, but I wasn’t really falling in love with any of them. I was taking a gap year from school when I accompanied my dad to the office one day. At the time, he was looking at reviving the brand.
I sat in on a few meetings, and as a 19-year-old, I felt the biggest contribution I could make was helping with social media. To do that, I started going through old company archives, notes, and documents because I wanted to understand the story before telling it.
I had just returned from the US, and reading through the company’s history was incredibly nostalgic. It reminded me how much I loved the estate, everything it stood for, and of course, the coffee itself – a product I’d grown up with. And from there, everything naturally evolved into what Nandan Coffee is today.
unstumbled: You joined the business at a very young age. Were there any specific challenges you faced in those early years?
Yahvi Mariwala: Honestly, I don’t think of those early years in terms of challenges. The reason I say that is because I’m not someone who dwells on challenges for too long. When you’re starting out, everything is a learning opportunity, and I genuinely looked at it through that lens.
unstumbled: How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved over the years?
Yahvi Mariwala: I would describe my leadership style as very direct. Everyone at Nandan Coffee enjoys getting into the finer details of things, and it’s wonderful to work with a team that’s aligned with that vision. Entering the business at a young age meant I had to learn how to communicate with conviction while still being respectful. Those lessons came through trial and error and by understanding what different teams respond to and what motivates them.
One of the interesting things about Nandan Coffee is that every team is different. The people working on the estate aren’t motivated by the same things as the café teams, and neither of those groups are motivated in the same way as the corporate office. As we expand into new cities like Bangalore, we’re also learning to work with teams from different cultural backgrounds.
So leadership is a constant learning process. You’re always adapting your approach while staying true to the values of the company.
unstumbled: The Indian coffee consumer is evolving rapidly. What current trends excite you the most?
Yahvi Mariwala: The coffee industry is in such an interesting phase right now because there’s genuinely a market and a product for every kind of coffee drinker.
Take filter coffee, for example. It was traditionally something people mostly enjoyed at home, particularly in South India. Today, it’s becoming a part of specialty cafés like ours, where we’re experimenting with it in fun and creative ways. We have drinks like our Orange Cardamom Filter Coffee and several other interpretations that give a fresh perspective to a familiar favorite.
At the same time, there’s also a space for people who enjoy coffee in a much more technical or serious way. That’s what excites me the most – the industry is growing in multiple directions at once.
When I first entered the industry, there was almost a sense of snobbery around specialty coffee and what was considered “good” coffee. Today, I think we’re moving away from that. Good coffee is whatever good coffee means to you as the consumer, and I find that incredibly exciting.
Seeing the market become more inclusive and welcoming than it was when I started has been one of the most rewarding developments.
unstumbled: Is there a common misconception about coffee that you’d like to change?
Yahvi Mariwala: The biggest misconception is that you have to be an expert to enjoy a good cup of coffee. You really don’t.
Coffee is such a dynamic product. The same coffee bean can express completely different flavor profiles depending on how it’s brewed or whether it’s paired with milk. That’s one of the most exciting things about coffee.
I think we really need to move away from the idea that you have to drink black coffee or understand every technical detail before you’re taken seriously as someone who enjoys coffee.
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unstumbled: When creating new drinks and recipes, what philosophy guides your menu?
Yahvi Mariwala: The first idea behind every menu is that we want to showcase the full range of coffees we grow ourselves.
Our cafés are designed so that customers can experience our entire coffee portfolio through different brewing methods. If you’re ordering an espresso, we’ll recommend the coffees that work best for espresso. If you’re choosing a pour-over, you’ll have access to a completely different range of coffees that are best suited for that brewing style. The same goes for a French press – different coffees shine in different preparations.
The goal has always been to showcase the diversity of our coffee through the menu. At the same time, we also want coffee to be fun.
So whether it’s our Spanish Latte, Brown Butter Cookie Mocha, or our signature filter coffees, we’re still carefully selecting specific coffee blends that best complement each drink. Even our more playful beverages are designed to highlight different coffees and their flavor profiles.
Every time we develop a new menu, we look closely at the tasting notes of our coffees and think about what ingredients or recipes will bring those characteristics to life in the best possible way.
Ultimately, we want customers to experience the variety within our coffees without ever feeling intimidated by the process.
unstumbled: What do you hope first-time visitors take away from their experience at Nandan Coffee?
Yahvi Mariwala: I hope they leave with a genuine feeling of belonging – that Nandan Coffee is a place where they feel welcome and comfortable.
Our cafés have been designed to invite customers into the brewing experience. That’s why we have an open coffee bar and interactive spaces where people can engage with coffee more closely.
But beyond that, we’ve also designed the spaces around different moments in people’s lives.
If you want to come in by yourself with a book, a notebook, or your laptop, there’s a space for that. If you simply want to sit by the window and watch the city go by, there’s a place for that too. First date? We’re open for you. If you’re meeting a large group of family or friends, there’s seating for that as well. Even if you’re visiting with your pets, we have a place for you.
unstumbled: Today, people are looking for more than just good coffee, they’re looking for an experience. Was creating that experience always central to the brand?
Yahvi Mariwala: Absolutely. I completely agree with that.
For us as a brand, it was incredibly important to create an experience because, ultimately, we’re not just serving coffee. We’re serving coffee that we’ve grown ourselves and roasted ourselves. There’s a deep emotional connection to the product because of everything that goes into producing it.
That’s why we wanted our cafés to feel warm and welcoming. We wanted people to connect with the story behind the coffee, not just the drink itself.
unstumbled: What role do you see Indian-grown coffee playing on the global stage over the next few years?
Yahvi Mariwala: Honestly, I think Indian coffee is finally going to receive the recognition it deserves.
Even back in the early 2000s, coffee from the Nandan Estate was winning international awards. Today, we’re increasingly seeing Indian coffee being recognized on the global stage, and that’s incredibly exciting.
India is the third-largest exporter of coffee in the world, and I think it’s about time Indian coffee gets the attention it deserves.
A lot of that comes from estates producing exceptional coffees, but it also comes from cafés celebrating India as a coffee-growing nation. We’re creating a café culture that’s uniquely Indian rather than trying to replicate what’s happening in the West.
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unstumbled: Sustainability has been at the heart of Nandan Coffee long before it became a buzzword. As climate change continues to impact coffee cultivation, how are you preparing for the challenges ahead?
Yahvi Mariwala: The environment naturally moves in cycles, so as coffee growers, you have to be prepared for years with lower harvests as well as years with higher yields.
At Nandan Coffee, we’ve been preparing for these realities from the very beginning.
Across the estate, we have rainwater harvesting tanks that collect and store rainwater. All the electricity used by our roastery and factory comes from solar power.
Being an organic estate also plays a significant role. Because we don’t rely on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, our soil remains healthier and regenerates much better over time.
Of course, we continue to adapt because climate challenges are constantly evolving. On the business side, especially in cities, you’re often able to move much faster.
That’s why it’s so important for us to continue investing in processes and farming methods that protect the environment rather than deplete it. For us, sustainability isn’t something we’ve adopted recently; it’s something the company has been built around from the very beginning.
unstumbled: What’s next for Nandan Coffee? What can customers expect from the brand over the next few years?
Yahvi Mariwala: We’re excited to continue creating spaces that welcome every kind of coffee drinker.
For us, it’s about building cafés that bring people closer to our origin story and to the estate itself, while helping them celebrate coffee in all its forms. We want our spaces to continue feeling warm, inclusive, and inviting—places where everyone can enjoy coffee in the way that feels most natural to them.
unstumbled: A dream guest you’d love to serve a cup of Nandan Coffee?
Yahvi Mariwala: I honestly don’t know! I’m leaving that one open to the universe. The wonderful thing is that so many of our regulars who walk into the café are already such interesting and lovely people, and that’s incredibly exciting in itself
unstumbled: What’s more important – the perfect cup of coffee or the café playlist?
Yahvi Mariwala: The perfect cup of coffee.
unstumbled: One coffee on the menu that instantly lifts your mood?
Yahvi Mariwala: The Brown Butter Cookie Mocha.
unstumbled: What’s your most controversial coffee opinion?
Yahvi Mariwala: That you don’t have to be an expert to love coffee.
I genuinely believe that. It’s incredibly important to celebrate coffee without making it feel intimidating. We should be creating conversations and language that connect with consumers rather than alienate them.
At the end of the day, coffee should be enjoyed, not overcomplicated. Whether someone drinks an espresso, a cappuccino, or a fun flavored coffee, they’re all enjoying the same product in their own way – and that’s exactly what coffee culture should be about.
