Celebrating Coffee Culture: Mumbai Coffee Festival at Jio World Drive

The Mumbai Coffee Festival at Jio World Drive was a remarkable highlight of the year, bringing together coffee enthusiasts, roasters, and industry leaders under one roof. I had the privilege of judging the National Latte Art Championship Mumbai Prelims, guided by Hari Om Sir and alongside the incredible Kaapi Machines team.

The event drew an enthusiastic and overwhelming crowd, reflecting the rapid growth of the Indian coffee market. It was truly inspiring to witness:

• Rising quality in coffee production and preparation
• Increasing coffee knowledge among the general public
• Heartfelt appreciation for producers, artists, and innovators

As a firm believer that coffee is a community-driven passion, I felt privileged to spend time sharing insights and learning from like-minded individuals who share the same enthusiasm.

A heartfelt thank you to Caleb Ellis, Sahil Thakkar, Naitik Shah, Felix Daniel, Faizal Patel, Santhosh Basavaraj, Ajit Joshi (A.J), Jaykrut Shah, Bhavika Asnani, Akhand Mishra, Soudh Ibrahim, and Arun Sanas for the fun moments and behind-the-scenes calibration.

Kudos to Abhinav Mathur, Rasika Tulaskar, Priyanka Menon, Amish Ghai, and Purbali D. for their tireless efforts to elevate the coffee community and bring fresh energy to the scene.

Special appreciation to Richa Sharma, a true leader representing our brand values—from the people, for the people, by the people. We also warmly welcomed Anjali Seervi, a new addition to both our team and the coffee community.

It was an absolute delight to meet: Mithilesh Vazalwar, Sreeraksha Pournesh, and Shobhit Agrawal.

The festival concluded with an enlightening discussion on coffee startups with Praveen H J, where we explored initiatives by the Indian Government to support and promote entrepreneurship in the coffee sector.

The Mumbai Coffee Festival reaffirmed that the Indian coffee community is vibrant, innovative, and growing stronger every day. It was an honor to be part of this celebration of passion, creativity, and community.