Third Wave Coffee brews East India expansion from Kolkata

Third Wave Coffee, one of the leading coffee brands in India, has entered the Eastern Indian market with three new stores launched across Kolkata on Friday (June 11). The brand also plans to conduct further expansion in the Eastern corners of the country with Kolkata as its base for this region. 

“Through our ground research, we saw a huge market in this region. Because Bengal loves its beverage and its desserts equally, we decided to launch the Third Rush dessert brand along with the Third Wave Coffee stores,” Rajat Luthra, CEO, Third Wave Coffee, told The Hindu during the launch event. 

The owners of this coffee chain want to bring to the fore the unique coffee beans and flavours that originate in India but were mostly exported outside the country till a few years back. Post COVID-19, the younger generation has taken a keen interest in understanding their coffee, collecting it, and participating in the ritual of making it, the owners said. This has given rise to a huge market for artisanal coffee, and has helped many Indian grown coffee brands thrive in the market. 

“Though southern Indian States like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the largest producers of coffee, many north-eastern States are also starting to grow their own coffee beans, and we are looking forward to exploring these new bean varieties,” Mr. Luthra said. 

What started out from Bangalore 10 years ago in 2016 has now become a national brand with over 220 stores across the country, with plans to reach 320 stores in the next year. 

As the brand is exploring its options in further expansion and is looking forward to opening stores across Guwahati, Ranchi, Patna, and Bhubaneswar in the coming months. 

In FY26, the brand expanded into Ahmedabad, Agra, and transit hubs such as the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, while also improving its presence across Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, and Mysuru. 

The three cafes are designed as community-led spaces that integrate the experience of coffee, food, and community-based activities to help brew both conversations and work from cafe culture. 

Speaking to The Hindu, chef and author Sadaf Hussain said that the aspirational aspect of coffee has now reached smaller towns and cities and the COVID-19 lockdown and staying home for longer periods of time played a major role in it. The indulgence in gourmet coffee has risen with the rising access to social media and global content, as coffee increasingly becomes an aspirational drink, the chef added. 

“The older generations mostly had CCD and Indian Coffee Houses, but new-age coffee shops redefined it. Now the experience of coffee drinking is as important as the conversations and company,” Mr Hussain added. The chef further added that smaller coffee brands are also making their mark in small towns as the new generation looks for places to hangout, go on dates, and work from. 

Mr Hussain has himself researched and wrote on the rising phenomenon of specialty coffee sweeping over small towns in India. 

He adds that coffee was predominantly culturally served in most southern Indian States, and tea was preferred across North and East India. However, the rise of cafes and artisanal coffee has changed this phenomenon and made room for savouring coffee beyond southern Indian States. 

Photos attached on email

EOM