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MUMBAI: Coffee maker CCL Products (India) Ltd has rolled out UK-origin brand Percol in India, aiming to tap into the country’s emerging demand for premium, sustainably sourced coffee.
The move follows CCL’s acquisition of Percol from Sweden’s Löfbergs Coffee Group in 2023 and marks a strategic shift toward building a high-margin branded portfolio alongside its B2B export business.
Unlike CCL’s mass-market Continental brand, Percol is positioned at the upper end of the instant coffee segment, priced at ₹800–850 for a 100-gram jar, comparable to Nestlé’s Nescafé Gold. The brand is aimed at consumers who prefer drinking their coffee black and are seeking more complex flavour profiles.
The Indian line-up includes three medium-roast variants: Da Essenza, a cinnamon- and star anise-noted blend of Indian and Colombian beans; Espresso Noir, made from Indian and Vietnamese beans with dark chocolate and oolong notes; and Intenzo, a smoother, medium-bodied brew infused with peppermint and clove.
All three are designed to preserve flavour and aroma while avoiding the bitterness typical of darker roasts, said Praveen Jaipuriar, CEO of CCL Products.
“India is still largely a milk-and-sugar coffee market, but we’re seeing a clear shift among younger urban consumers. Percol is crafted for that audience,” Jaipuriar told Mint.
Founded in 1987 by British entrepreneur Brian Chapman, Percol was among the first UK brands to champion Fairtrade certification that ensures products are produced and traded according to social, economic, and environmental standards.
CCL, which had developed blends for Percol over two decades ago, is now reintroducing the original profiles, repositioning the brand globally and for the Indian market.
“We had a nostalgic connection with Percol, but also saw strategic value in acquiring it,” said Jaipuriar. “With India’s coffee preferences evolving, this felt like the right time to offer consumers a nuanced, premium experience, especially one rooted in sustainability.”
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Coffee is rising, but tea still rules
India remains a tea-first market, with consistent coffee consumption largely limited to southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In most other regions, in-home coffee usage is still occasional.
“Outside the South, most people drink coffee at cafés or in offices, but switch back to tea at home. Regular coffee drinking hasn’t yet become a daily ritual,” Jaipuriar said.
That said, younger consumers are increasingly adopting coffee as part of their lifestyle, skipping tea entirely. “This generation knows their brews, and they’re building habits that could fundamentally change the market over time,” he added.
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Despite rising interest, building a premium coffee brand in India comes with structural challenges. Instant coffee is still viewed as a mass product, and many consumers are unfamiliar with concepts like roast profiles or brewing methods.
“We all know how to make good chai—but most people don’t know how to make coffee well at home,” said Jaipuriar. The lack of brewing knowledge, particularly outside the South, limits the adoption of more sophisticated products. “That’s the gap we want to address, but it will take time,” he added.
Unlike many challenger brands relying on external capital, Percol’s rollout is internally funded. “Our B2C business is profitable and self-sustaining. We don’t need VC money, or even parent company support anymore,” Jaipuriar said.
While the brand will now compete with legacy players like Nescafé and Bru and newer names like Blue Tokai, Sleepy Owl, and Rage Coffee, Jaipuriar doesn’t see it as a zero-sum battle.
“Right now, the market is expanding. If more brands can get people to drink better coffee more regularly, everyone benefits. The real challenge is converting tea households into coffee ones.” For Jaipuriar, success isn’t only about numbers. “The day someone tells us Percol is the first instant coffee they enjoy drinking black—that’ll be our biggest validation.”
Also Read: Indian coffee exports double in value even as production remains flat
Experience-led marketing
To build traction, CCL is focusing on experience-first marketing, using tastings, pop-ups, and influencer partnerships instead of traditional mass media. The brand recently hosted a live barista-led tasting kiosk at a concert in Mumbai to drive sampling.
“We want people to experience the coffee first, especially since black instant coffee is still rare in India,” said Jaipuriar.
The company is also exploring drip filters and fresh ground variants, but only after the instant portfolio stabilises.
Percol is being introduced selectively, with offline availability at premium outlets like Nature’s Basket, Namdhari’s, La Marche, and Spencer’s Select, as well as in high-income neighbourhoods such as Delhi’s Khan Market and Mumbai’s Bandra.
Online, the coffee is currently listed on Amazon and will soon be available on quick commerce platforms like Blinkit and BigBasket. CCL is also enabling direct-to-consumer delivery in select PIN codes.
“We’re deliberately avoiding mass retail,” Jaipuriar said. “A wide rollout too early can dilute the brand’s premium positioning. We want to grow this step by step.”
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