An Unique Interview with Vikram Khurana, CEO of Kaapi Options, a number one supplier of imported espresso machines & barista coaching in India
Vikram Khurana, CEO of Kaapi Options, shares his ardour for elevating India’s espresso tradition. As a number one supplier of imported espresso machines and barista coaching, he discusses innovation, craftsmanship, and the corporate’s mission to redefine espresso experiences throughout the nation.
You began your profession with Café Espresso Day and went on to win a silver medal on the World Barista Championship in 2002. How did these early experiences form your imaginative and prescient for Kaapi Options?
Vikram Khurana: My journey started at a time when India’s espresso tradition was nonetheless discovering its footing. Working with Café Espresso Day was my introduction to the world of espresso not simply as a beverage, however as an emotion that connects folks.
These had been years of studying, experimentation, and understanding client behaviour, café operations, and the intricate dynamics of high quality and consistency.
Representing India on the World Barista Championship in 2002 and successful a silver medal was a turning level. It opened my eyes to the worldwide espresso panorama, the precision, innovation, and craftsmanship that went into each shot of espresso.
It additionally made me notice how a lot potential India needed to grow to be a critical participant within the espresso world.
Kaapi Options was born out of that realization, a imaginative and prescient to bridge the hole between India’s rising love for espresso and the worldwide requirements of apparatus, approach, and training.
These early experiences taught me that espresso excellence is not only about style, however about methods, help, and sustainability. That philosophy continues to information each side of Kaapi Options right now.
Kaapi Options has grow to be a trusted accomplice for premium cafés and hospitality manufacturers. What’s been your method for constructing credibility in such a aggressive market?
Vikram Khurana: Within the espresso gear trade, credibility doesn’t come in a single day; it’s constructed cup by cup, café by café. From day one, our method has been to coach reasonably than promote.
We spend loads of time understanding a shopper’s wants whether or not it’s a small boutique café or a big lodge chain and we offer them with tailored options, hands-on coaching, and long-term upkeep help.
We’ve aligned ourselves with a few of the world’s most revered espresso gear manufacturers, however our actual power lies within the relationships we construct. Each shopper is aware of that we stand by them lengthy after a sale is made.
That reliability, transparency, and technical excellence have been the muse of our progress.
Furthermore, we’ve invested closely in barista coaching packages and knowledge-sharing initiatives as a result of we imagine that an amazing machine is barely nearly as good because the individual working it.
This holistic method — providing gear, training, and empowerment has allowed Kaapi Options to grow to be a trusted accomplice in India’s evolving espresso ecosystem.
You’re introducing the ‘My Expression’ machines. What impressed their design, and the way do you see them empowering boutique café house owners and premium residence brewers?
Vikram Khurana: The inspiration behind the ‘My Expressino’ machines stemmed from firsthand insights into the rising hole in India’s espresso panorama—particularly, that genuine café-style espresso experiences had been largely absent in high-paced workplace environments and amongst premium residence brewers.
As Founding father of Kaapi Options, it grew to become clear that espresso lovers in these segments craved not simply comfort, however the pleasure and personalization related to “my espresso”—a day by day ritual that resonates whether or not at work or residence.
The ‘My Expressino’ line was created to be greater than only a machine; it’s a assertion of accessibility and empowerment.
The design attracts from the concept of “private espresso”—delivering high quality, café-level espresso in a compact, reasonably priced package deal with out compromising on the richness, aroma, or consistency that specialty espresso calls for.
- Personalization: The machine’s identify and intent—“My Expressino”—invitations each workplace goers and residential brewers to assert possession over their espresso moments, permitting bespoke drinks that mirror particular person tastes.
- Affordability & High quality: By balancing worth with best-in-class brewing expertise, these machines supply an accessible entry level to premium espresso, making them excellent for first-time café house owners elevating their specialty recreation and for residence brewers able to step past prompt choices.
- Empowerment for Boutique Cafés and Workplaces: For brand new café house owners, the machines decrease the entry barrier to the specialty section, supporting their ambition to serve artisanal espresso with out overwhelming technical complexity or price. In workplaces, they remodel mundane espresso breaks into moments of creativity and connection—boosting office satisfaction with actual espresso, crafted for discerning tastes.
Influence on the Espresso Group
By launching ‘My Expressino’, Kaapi Options responds to the evolving calls for of India’s espresso tradition—championing innovation, neighborhood, and constantly glorious espresso.
This vary not solely fills a vital hole but in addition helps India’s increasing tribe of specialty espresso lovers, shaping habits and elevating expectations for what workplace and residential espresso could be.
In essence, ‘My Expressino’ is about democratizing entry to nice espresso—giving boutique café house owners, forward-thinking workplaces, and passionate residence brewers the instruments to thrive and specific their espresso artistry, one cup at a time
Are you able to share any distinctive options that differentiate ‘My Expressino’ from different espresso machines on this worth section?
Vikram Khurana: My Expressino’ is a premium but reasonably priced espresso machine designed for each rookies and fanatics.
From Dwelling Brewers to Workplace goers It provides professional-grade brewing options, together with high-pressure extraction and a flexible steam wand, delivered in a modern, sturdy chrome steel design.
Simple to make use of and aesthetically interesting, it democratizes entry to high-quality specialty espresso, making it perfect for residence baristas and boutique café house owners searching for a dependable, trendy, and user-friendly answer to raise their espresso expertise.
The upcoming launch of Kofihaus is a vital milestone. What’s going to make this flagship café totally different from different specialty espresso areas in India?
Vikram Khurana: Kofihaus represents the end result of all the pieces we’ve discovered over time at Kaapi Options — from understanding equipment to perfecting the sensory expertise of espresso.
It’s not only a café; it’s a espresso expertise studio the place ardour meets precision. At Kofihaus, each element from the selection of beans to the brewing technique has been thoughtfully curated.
Guests can discover a number of brewing types, have interaction with expert baristas, and be taught extra in regards to the science behind their cup. It’s designed to be interactive, immersive, and academic.
We additionally need Kofihaus to grow to be a hub for India’s espresso neighborhood, a spot the place professionals, fanatics, and newcomers can alternate concepts, attend workshops, and rejoice espresso in all its varieties.
It’s our means of contributing again to the tradition that made us who we’re, whereas pushing the boundaries of what an Indian café expertise could be.
Kaapi Options is the unique accomplice for ROCKET in India. How does the newest ROCKET mannequin improve your portfolio of premium espresso options?
Vikram Khurana: Kaapi Options is proud to introduce the newest Rocket espresso fashions—Sotto Banco and Doppia—to our portfolio of premium espresso options in India.
These state-of-the-art machines exemplify Rocket’s Italian craftsmanship and modern design, elevating the espresso expertise for each baristas and low connoisseurs.
That includes superior expertise, exact management, and beautiful aesthetics, the Rocket Sotto Banco and Doppia set new trade requirements in effectivity, consistency, and magnificence.
This partnership strengthens our dedication to providing world-class, high-performance espresso gear that meets the calls for of contemporary espresso institutions throughout India.
India has a protracted historical past with tea, however espresso is rising quick. How do you see the specialty espresso market maturing over the subsequent 5 years?
Vikram Khurana: The final decade has been transformative for espresso in India, and the subsequent 5 years can be much more thrilling. We’re witnessing a shift from amount to high quality.
Individuals are not happy with simply any cup of espresso; they need to know the place their beans come from, how they’re roasted, and the way they’re brewed.
I see a robust rise in micro-roasteries, sustainable sourcing, and locally-driven café manufacturers that perceive their viewers deeply. Expertise will play a much bigger function from automation in brewing to traceability in sourcing.
What excites me most is that Indian shoppers have gotten international in style however native in satisfaction. We’re studying to understand Indian-origin beans with the identical enthusiasm as worldwide ones.
That maturity of each palate and perspective will outline the subsequent section of India’s specialty espresso revolution.
What recommendation would you share with younger entrepreneurs and café house owners coming into the premium espresso house right now?
Vikram Khurana: My recommendation can be easy: begin with ardour, however again it with data. Espresso is a craft that rewards consistency and endurance.
Earlier than investing in a café, spend time understanding your beans, your brewing strategies, and most significantly, your prospects.Don’t deal with espresso gear as a value, it’s an funding in high quality and expertise.
Prepare your baristas, spend money on good equipment, and by no means compromise on uncooked supplies. A café’s success lies as a lot in what’s within the cup as within the tradition you create round it.
Most significantly, keep genuine. Construct your model story round your values — folks join with ardour and honesty. If you may make each cup, inform a narrative, you’ll not simply construct a café, however a neighborhood.
Concluding the dialog, Vikram Khurana’s dedication to high quality, innovation, and training shines by way of.
His management at Kaapi Options continues to form India’s rising espresso ecosystem, mixing international experience with native ardour to create a richer, extra linked café tradition.
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