New Delhi, Aug. 15 -- Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters started brewing when founder Matt Chittaranjan moved to Chennai from the US in 2011 for a job opportunity.

Around that time, the third wave of coffee was rising globally, focusing on the farm-to-cup concept, transparency and traceability. Inspired by this shift, Chittaranjan wanted to bring a similar "coffee movement" to India.

He noticed that speciality coffee-with all its nuance, freshness, and respect for origin-was nowhere to be found in India. The domestic coffee market was mostly dominated by mass-produced blends and street-side kiosks, where coffee was more of a background beverage than a well-crafted experience.

This realization, coupled with his partner Namrata Asthana's support...