Building Blue Tokai: India's most loved speciality coffee brand | Ep26 The India Opportunity | Matt Chitharanjan ft Shrishti Sahu
350 Crores revenue run rate, 130 locations and the origin story of the brand!
Hello everyone, welcome to The India Opportunity Show where you get a front-row seat to people building India’s future. We talk about unlocking the potential of the country with founders, investors, creators, and successful leaders from different fields to bring you real-life stories and behind-the-scenes of what it takes to be at the forefront of building the India Story.
The 26th episode of The India Opportunity Show is out now! You can watch it on YouTube or listen to it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Today, we’re joined by a very special guest Matt Chitharanjan, co-founder of Blue Tokai who’s built India’s most loved specialty coffee brand. Matt has grown Blue Tokai over the last 12 years into a 350 Crore revenue run rate company, with over 130 locations and is backed by marquee investors such as Verlinvest, A91 Partners, Snow Leopard and more. He was previously a real estate and finance consultant but left the corporate world to dive into his passion of brewing and speciality coffee. Thrilled to have the opportunity to share Matt’s story with all of you today. Hope you enjoy watching!
Takeaways
Started Blue Tokai out of a personal desire for quality coffee.
The Indian coffee market has evolved significantly over the years.
Premiumization is key, but value perception is crucial.
Navigating investor pressures requires a strong founder vision.
An omnichannel approach has been vital for growth.
Scaling operations requires experimentation and learning.
Company culture is essential and should be nurtured from the top down.
Hiring practices have evolved to focus on indirect references.
Personal growth as a founder involves delegation and strategic thinking.
The future of coffee in India looks promising with ample opportunities. More growers are interested in specialty coffee due to better pricing.
Coffee's coolness factor drives consumer interest over tea.
Quick commerce has seen significant growth in the coffee sector.
Cafes serve as a marketing tool for Blue Tokai.
Competition in coffee helps grow the overall market.
Co-founding with a partner has its challenges and benefits.
Balancing work and family is a challenge for entrepreneur couples.
Blue Tokai aims to be a leading global coffee brand.
Taking risks has been a key part of Matt's journey.
Matt's ambition is to create a strong domestic coffee brand.
Chapters
00:00 The Birth of Blue Tokai
02:59 Transitioning Cultures and Coffee Consumption
05:54 Market Evolution and Inflection Points
08:57 Balancing Value and Premiumization
11:54 Navigating Investor Relationships
15:08 Omnichannel Strategy and Growth
18:03 Scaling Operations and Culture
21:09 Hiring and Team Dynamics
23:54 Personal Growth as a Founder
26:57 Future Vision and Supply Chain Management
28:49 The Rise of Specialty Coffee
32:57 The Impact of Quick Commerce
35:23 The Story Behind Suchali's Bakery
37:05 Navigating Cultural Differences in Business
40:10 The Role of Competition in Coffee
43:51 Ambitions for Blue Tokai
45:50 Reflections on Life and Risk-Taking
Follow Matt here: Linkedin
Follow Shrishti here: LinkedIn Twitter
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