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Berunda Coffee blends Indian heritage with modern specialty coffee
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Saturday, 29 August, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Anurag More, Mumbai
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Berunda Coffee is positioning itself at the intersection of Indian coffee heritage and contemporary speciality coffee, with plans to strengthen its retail, digital and e-commerce presence while building a sourcing strategy centred on traceability and direct engagement with producers.
Speaking about the challenges facing independent and speciality coffee businesses in India, Rajkumari Jayapalashri Anil, Founder of The House of Berunda, said maintaining consistency across sourcing, logistics, quality control and operations remains a significant task, particularly for smaller brands operating without the scale of large corporations.
“Consistency, sourcing, logistics, quality control, skilled people and rising input costs are all challenges,” she said. “For an independent brand, every decision matters because you don’t have the scale of a large corporation behind you.”
Consumer education is another important part of building a speciality coffee business, according to Anil. As brands introduce differentiated products, they must also help consumers understand what sets speciality coffee apart.
“Consumers are becoming more curious about where their coffee comes from, what Arabica and Robusta mean, how it has been processed and why one coffee tastes different from another,” she said.
The growing interest in healthier lifestyles is also creating opportunities for plant-based alternatives, lower-sugar beverages and other health-conscious coffee offerings. However, Anil believes innovation should not come at the expense of the coffee experience itself.
“There is growing interest in plant-based alternatives, lower-sugar beverages and products that fit into a more health-conscious lifestyle,” she said, adding that coffee should not necessarily be turned into an overly complicated functional beverage.
India’s evolving coffee market is not replacing traditional coffee habits with newer speciality formats but expanding consumer choices, Anil said. While single-origin coffees and speciality brewing are gaining traction, traditional South Indian filter coffee continues to hold strong emotional and cultural relevance. “I think India is interesting because we are not replacing one coffee culture with another. We are adding to it,” she said.
Berunda Coffee aims to embrace both heritage and discovery, combining a contemporary speciality coffee approach with the traditions associated with coffee consumption in Indian households.
According to Anil, the Gandaberunda, which forms part of the family identity, also contributes to the brand’s heritage. The objective, however, is to create a brand that feels contemporary and luxurious while remaining distinctly Indian. “For me, Berunda is not just another coffee brand. It is a story that happens to be told through coffee,” she said.
Currently, Berunda sources coffee from South Indian coffee-growing regions, including Coorg, Chikkamagaluru and BR Hills, while exploring opportunities to gradually bring coffees from other producing states into its portfolio.
Direct engagement with farmers and producers is central to the brand’s sourcing approach, Anil said, as it allows the company to better understand farming practices, processing methods and the journey of the coffee before it reaches consumers.
“For me, traceability is not a marketing word. It is part of respecting the coffee,” she said. The company considers factors such as origin, altitude, varietal, processing method, roast potential and cup profile while selecting beans for blends and single-origin offerings. For blends, the focus is on achieving balance, while single-origin coffees are expected to showcase their individual character.
Anil also highlighted the importance of allowing coffee flavours to remain prominent in traditional Indian-style preparations, rather than masking them with excessive chicory.
Managing flavour consistency remains a challenge because coffee is an agricultural product that can vary according to season, origin and processing. Berunda addresses this through careful bean selection, roasting and cupping, while allowing room for seasonal individuality. “Consistency should mean that the customer receives the same level of quality and experience, not necessarily that every bean tastes identical forever,” Anil said.
The company also sees menu innovation and food pairings as important elements of the café experience. Coffee, she noted, is often part of a larger occasion—whether a conversation, breakfast, meeting or moment of personal downtime—and the right food pairing can complement and enhance different characteristics of the beverage.
On sustainability, Berunda’s approach begins with responsible sourcing and greater visibility into the value chain, alongside efforts to avoid unnecessary packaging and build long-term relationships with coffee producers.
As the business grows, the company plans to further embed sustainability across sourcing, packaging and operations, while continuing to create value around Indian coffee and farming communities.
Looking ahead, Anil sees opportunities for Berunda across retail, e-commerce, gifting, hospitality partnerships and carefully selected physical spaces. However, the company does not intend to pursue expansion solely through a rapid increase in outlets.
“Every extension of Berunda has to retain the character of the brand,” she said. Over the next two to three years, Berunda plans to strengthen its coffee portfolio, expand its retail and digital presence, build its e-commerce business and develop partnerships. The brand also aims to create experiences that allow consumers to learn about coffee, explore different flavour profiles and engage with the heritage behind the brand.
As India’s speciality coffee market continues to evolve, Anil believes the country’s status as both a coffee-producing nation and a growing market of curious consumers presents a significant opportunity.
“We are beginning to appreciate Indian coffee not merely as a commodity, but for its origin, craftsmanship and individuality,” she said. Berunda aims to contribute to this evolution by making speciality coffee more approachable while celebrating the land, people, craft and heritage behind every cup.
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