India, a one-stop destination for hot beverages, is primarily a tea-drinking nation with a whopping 1,090 million kilograms of tea consumption recorded in the country between 2015 and 2019, Statista reported.
However, a recent study by Lavazza, an Italian brand that manufactures coffee products, disclosed that Indians are now inching towards coffee. India, also the world’s sixth-largest coffee producer, has witnessed a 40 per cent increase in coffee consumption. This is thanks to the growing number of fancy cafes including Cafe Coffee Day, Barista, and Starbucks, Business Standard reported.
Indian millennials are now outpouring their love for hot coffee so much so that about 69 per cent of them consider coffee a ‘companion’, according to Lavazza India’s ‘Brewing Conversations’ survey.
The survey which collected response from almost 3,000 people revealed that Coffee has now become a go-to beverage for Indians. Nearly 50 per cent of them admit that coffee removes morning blues out of their lives. A massive 94 per cent of the population prefers coffee during a job interview.
Coffee is not limited to a usual beverage people like to have amidst a busy day. It has played the cupid's role and has bridged emotional gaps between people. Around 50 per cent of the respondents prefer to grab a cup of coffee when they catch up with a friend or go on a first date. Again, half of them prefer drinking coffee before striking a deep conversation with a friend or mentor.
The report also showed that a significant 69 per cent of respondents consider coffee to be a companion, only 31 per cent consider it to be a motivator.
Rachna Anbumani, Vice-President of Marketing, Lavazza India, in an official release said: “The survey ‘Brewing Conversations’ was curated with the intention of understanding whether Indian millennials see coffee as an agent that becomes the reason for a conversation, or a companion, a source of comfort during a conversation.”
“We would like coffee to become a habit that accompanies people through their most important milestones in life,” she added.
Lavazza released the survey as part of its Valentine’s Week project. The aim is to gather insights on whether coffee is a ‘companion’ or a ‘motivator’ for Indian millennials.