International Coffee Day: 65% Indians Are Drinking More Coffee Than 2 Years Ago

India’s coffee culture appears to be expanding beyond the traditional caffeine fix, with consumers drinking more coffee, trying new formats and increasingly valuing the experience around their cup. A new PulseAI Research survey of 1,000 respondents found that 64.8% of Indian consumers are drinking more coffee than they did two years ago, while 59.4% now have coffee at least once a day. The findings were released ahead of International Coffee Day and point to changing coffee habits across the country. While 35.1% of respondents said they were drinking “much more” coffee than two years ago, another 29.7% said their consumption had increased “a little.” Scroll down to learn more.

This International Coffee Day, Here Are Some Best-Picked Coffee Formats

For many consumers, coffee seems linked to routine as much as caffeine. About 30.8% of respondents said they drink coffee more than once a day. When asked which coffee occasion would be hardest to give up if they had to cut their intake by half, 16.8% picked coffee while working or studying. This was followed by the first coffee of the day (14.4%) and evening coffee (12.8%). The survey also found that 48% of respondents would drink their usual coffee just as often even if it contained no caffeine. Another 25% said they would drink only slightly less, suggesting that taste, habit and the overall coffee experience also play a role in consumption.

Instant coffee remains the most popular format, consumed by 62% of respondents. However, consumers are also experimenting with other varieties. Iced latte or cold coffee was consumed by 55%, while 45% had speciality or manually brewed coffee. Cold brew, frappé or flavoured coffee and South Indian filter coffee each had a 44% share.

Plant-based coffee, cold brew and ready-to-drink coffee were among the formats seeing new trials. Around 37.7% tried plant-based coffee for the first time in the past year, while 37.6% tried cold brew and 37.5% tried bottled or canned ready-to-drink coffee. Coffee mocktails and other experimental formats were tried by 35.6%, while 32.5% tried protein or functional coffee. Some of these trials translated into repeat purchases. About 26.4% of all respondents bought plant-based coffee again, compared with 25.2% for ready-to-drink coffee and 24.7% for cold brew.

Also Read: 10 Coffee Terms You Should Know Before Your Next Cafe Visit

Cafes Remain Part Of The Coffee Experience

While coffee consumption is rising, some consumers are also trying to reduce their intake. About 14.7% said they had tried to cut down and succeeded, while 15.8% reduced their consumption temporarily before returning to previous levels. Another 11.5% were still trying to cut down. Among those looking to reduce coffee consumption, better sleep or avoiding caffeine later in the day was the most common reason, cited by 51.4%. General health and wellness followed at 42.5%, while 37.8% cited acidity or stomach discomfort and 36% pointed to reducing sugar or calories.

The café experience also continues to matter. About 86.3% of respondents had purchased coffee from a café in the previous 30 days. Meanwhile, 58.2% said they would visit their regular café less often if it became takeaway-only and lost features such as seating, Wi-Fi and ambience. Coffee is also moving into other food categories. In the past year, 43.7% of respondents tried hazelnut coffee, while 40.9% had coffee or espresso ice cream and 40.8% tried coffee-flavoured chocolate. Another 33.5% had coffee-flavoured cake or pastry.

Also Read: Jyotiraditya Scindia’s Filter Coffee Pour Steals The Show At Rameshwaram Cafe In Bengaluru

The survey also found an appetite for premium coffee. When presented with a 250 ml coffee described as 100% Arabica Single-Origin Indian Estate Coffee and small-batch roasted, 68.1% of respondents said they would be comfortable paying ₹150 or more for it, compared with 53.9% for a standard freshly brewed coffee.

All the coffee lovers, what is your favourite coffee?

Cover Image Courtesy: Pexels/Vivaan Rupani