How Yahvi Mariwala’s return from the US led her to the next chapter of Nandan Coffee

(Jun 7, 2026) After studying in the US, Yahvi Mariwala returned to India and found herself helping shape the next chapter of her family’s three-generation, certified-organic coffee legacy rooted in the Palani Hills of Kodaikanal. Today, Nandan Coffee is bringing the estate-grown beans and stories of the award-winning Nandanvan Estate to a new generation of coffee lovers.

It’s a glorious summer morning in Bengaluru. The skies are blue, dotted with soft wisps of white clouds. Inside Nandan Coffee‘s first standalone café in the city, the mood is relaxed but buzzing. A steady hum of conversations fills the cosy yet plush space – families enjoying quality time; baristas moving effortlessly behind the counter, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the air. There is a dedicated coffee tasting corner that encourages guests to engage more deeply with what they are drinking, exploring different roasts and flavour profiles. While at the table, coffee-lovers can savour a range of flavourful beverages such as the peanut chikki filter coffee, brown butter cookie mocha and mango cold brew tonic among others.

The food too is delicious! A bowl of piping hot Rasam Minestrone marries the flavours of South India with the taste of Italy. The Avocado Eggs Benedict arrives beautifully on a buttery croissant, while the Rosti Kejriwal consisting of a potato pancake with fried egg, green ‘thecha’ and Greek yoghurt, gives a playful twist to a beloved Bombay favourite. What’s more, there is also a special menu for pets!

It is this thoughtful balance between heritage and modernity that lies at the heart of Nandan Coffee. And it is a balance that has been carefully nurtured by its co-founder, Yahvi Mariwala, a young entrepreneur who has witnessed the growth of India’s specialty coffee movement firsthand.

For Yahvi, coffee was always more than just a beverage – it was a way of life, whether it was the scent of beans roasting in the frosty evening air of the hills or long conversations shared over a French press. Growing up in the cold wilderness of her family’s estate in Kodaikanal, Yahvi was always closely connected to the much-loved beverage. Today, her vision is to transform a family-grown coffee business into a modern hospitality brand while remaining deeply connected to its heritage.

Moving between Mumbai and the mountains

Mumbai-based Yahvi belongs to a generation of entrepreneurs who are blending global exposure with an Indian perspective. Her childhood unfolded between two vastly different worlds. There was Mumbai, with its energy, movement and ambition. Then there was the Nandanvan Estate in Kodaikanal, where coffee grew amid forests, wildlife moved freely across the landscape and life followed a gentler rhythm. “Growing up in two completely different environments taught me to adapt to different spaces and helped me develop an appreciation for both,” she muses in a chat with The Global Indian.

Watching her family constantly experiment with new ideas related to coffee, hospitality wasn’t something that she learnt formally – it just became part of a daily routine.

My grandparents paid so much attention to detail and thought behind how every decision would impact people, product and the planet.

Yahvi Mariwala

 

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Going back to the roots

After attending Hill Spring International School in Mumbai and Kent School in Connecticut, Yahvi enrolled at Emory University in Atlanta, which exposed her to diverse coffee cultures and café experiences from around the world. But the experience also made her ponder over something she had previously taken for granted – the Indian coffee. “You could find different global styles of coffee across several coffee shops, but the most delicious cold coffees and kaapi were nowhere to be found,” she recalls.

The humble South Indian filter coffee, in particular, took on new dimension for her. Brewing coffee with a traditional South Indian filter in her dorm room gave her a newfound appreciation for Indian coffee – something that would reflect years later on Nandan Coffee’s menu.

The journey towards entrepreneurship

When Yahvi returned to India in 2018, Nandan Coffee was still a relatively small, relationship-driven business. The estate-grown coffee was largely enjoyed by friends and family, with limited exports and a loyal but niche customer base.

Her entrepreneurial journey began somewhat unplanned during a gap year from college when she began sitting in on meetings with her father, who was looking to revive Nandan Coffee. What started as curiosity quickly became something more meaningful.

I immediately fell in love with everything Nandan Coffee stood for. I realised I wanted to be a part of building it out full-time.

Yahvi Mariwala

Rather than rushing into retail, she began by expanding the B2B side of the business, building relationships and understanding the market from the ground up. What followed was a gradual but ambitious transformation. Pop-ups led to shop-in-shop concepts, which in turn led to Nandan Coffee’s first shop-in-shop at Jio World Drive in Mumbai in 2021. Today, the brand has several cafes in Mumbai and one in Bengaluru.

While coffee is the product, hospitality is at the centre of Yahvi’s vision. “I think it starts with remembering that coffee is ultimately a people business,” she suggests. “We can invest in beautiful spaces, great coffee and thoughtful design, but ultimately, what people remember is how they felt.”

Lessons from the wild

Beyond coffee, another constant influence in Yahvi’s life has been animals and the natural world. A national-level equestrian, she grew up surrounded by horses, pets and wildlife. The Nandanvan Estate itself remains unfenced, allowing animals to move freely through the landscape.

That philosophy extends into the cafés, which are intentionally pet-friendly and designed to feel welcoming not only to people but also to their animal companions. The company’s recent Rainforest Alliance certification marks another step in its sustainability journey, but for her, the larger goal is creating meaningful connections.

Her future goal is to help customers understand where their coffee comes from, who grows it and the stories that exist behind every cup. “We encourage conversations about the estate, the people behind the coffee, and the journey from farm to cup. Over the next few years, we’re set on making Nandan Coffee a true destination for people who love coffee: not just for what is in the cup, but for the stories, experiences and connections that surround it,” she concludes.

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