At the recently held AAHAR, Kaapi Solutions India made a strong impression by showcasing its evolving capabilities in coffee technology, manufacturing, and end-to-end business solutions. In an exclusive interaction, Vikram Khurana, CEO, Kaapi Solutions India, shared insights into the company’s journey, innovations, and future roadmap.

Building a one-stop coffee solutions company

Founded in 2017, Kaapi Solutions was established with a clear vision—to become a comprehensive, one-point solution provider for India’s growing coffee industry. Reflecting on the journey, Khurana explained, “The idea behind forming Kaapi Solutions was to create a one-point solution for the coffee business in India. We realized that coffee is becoming a strong trend—every restaurant, hotel, bakery, corporate office, and co-working space wants to serve good coffee.”

He highlighted India’s entrepreneurial landscape and the global rise of coffee culture as key drivers behind the company’s growth. “India is a country driven by entrepreneurs, and coffee is one of the fastest-growing trends globally. We wanted to offer not just machines, but technology, consultancy, training, and know-how—right from growing coffee to running a profitable coffee business.”

Today, the company supports a wide spectrum of customers—from café startups and roasters to hotels and corporate clients—helping them integrate high-quality coffee into their offerings.

Service-driven model with global technology

Kaapi Solutions operates as a service-first organization, importing advanced coffee technologies, installing and maintaining them, and supporting customers through robust distribution and direct engagement. “We are a service-driven company. We import the finest technologies from around the world, install and service them, and also directly manage key clients,” Khurana noted.

‘Assembled in India’: A strategic leap

A major milestone for the company has been its move towards local assembly of coffee machines in India. “In the last year, we have taken a major step by starting the assembly of machines in India. We are assembling Italian coffee machines—both semi-automatic and fully automatic—here.”

This initiative aligns with India’s broader manufacturing ambitions and positions Kaapi Solutions as a forward-looking player in the segment. “This is our first step in that direction. We now have a fully operational plant, and we believe this segment will grow rapidly and also help us export coffee machines from India.”

The company currently assembles machines using imported CKD kits while gradually identifying components that can be manufactured locally.

Catering to a diverse and price-sensitive market

India’s coffee market is highly diverse, spanning budget-conscious buyers to premium hospitality brands. Khurana emphasized that Kaapi Solutions caters to this entire spectrum.

“India is a market where you need both budget-friendly models and super-luxury options. Everything depends on the client’s taste, customer preferences, and business model.”

He added, “We don’t say no to any customer. We understand their requirements instead of pushing a specific machine.”

With machine prices ranging from ₹85,000 to ₹18 lakh for automatic models and ₹1.39 lakh to ₹17 lakh for semi-automatic variants, the company ensures flexibility across segments.

Automation driving coffee consistency

With manpower challenges expected to rise, automation is becoming increasingly important in coffee preparation. “Automatic machines are becoming increasingly popular because coffee preparation requires skilled manpower, and this is likely to be a challenge in the coming years.”

At AAHAR, the company introduced machines capable of delivering high-quality coffee without requiring highly trained baristas—an innovation particularly relevant for QSRs and high-volume environments.

Expanding into home coffee segment

Kaapi Solutions is also entering the home coffee machine segment, leveraging its strong service network. “We have more than 110 engineers across 43 cities, and service is our strength. We can provide reliable service not only for B2B customers but also for the D2C segment.”

This move aims to tap into the growing base of home coffee enthusiasts in India.

Strong response at AAHAR

Participation at AAHAR proved to be highly rewarding for the company, offering a platform to engage with industry stakeholders. “AAHAR this year has been an incredibly engaging and rewarding experience. We saw tremendous interest from hotels, cafés, QSRs, and corporate spaces looking to elevate their coffee offerings.”

Among the highlights were live demonstrations of advanced machines such as the Barista Attitude Storm Espresso Machine, Rocket Doppio, and the newly launched “Assembled in India” MIRA machine. “The response has been extremely encouraging, and it reinforces our mission to bring world-class coffee technology and expertise to the Indian market.”

Growth Strategy: Localisation and ecosystem development

Looking ahead, Kaapi Solutions is focused on strengthening India’s coffee ecosystem through localisation and deeper market penetration. “Our growth strategy is centered around building greater local capability in coffee technology while strengthening India’s coffee ecosystem.”

The “Assembled in India” initiative will play a key role in enabling faster delivery, better customization, and improved service support. Additionally, the company is expanding into emerging hospitality markets and smaller cities where demand for quality coffee is rising.

Empowering the specialty coffee movement

Kaapi Solutions is also aligning itself with India’s rapidly evolving specialty coffee culture.

“More cafés, hotels, and corporate spaces are investing in premium coffee experiences. Our goal is to support them not just with machines, but with complete coffee solutions—consultation, training, workflow design, and after-sales support.”

Through its home brewing platform KofiHaus, the company is also nurturing a growing community of coffee enthusiasts.

Partnership with Astoria: Bridging global and local

A key pillar of Kaapi Solutions’ success has been its long-standing partnership with Astoria. “Astoria is globally respected for its Italian espresso engineering, and through our partnership we have been able to bring that level of technology to India.”

This collaboration extends beyond equipment supply to building a comprehensive coffee ecosystem. “Together, we focus on creating a complete coffee ecosystem—from helping businesses choose the right equipment to supporting them with installation, training, and long-term service support.”

The localisation of select Astoria machines further strengthens this partnership. “By assembling machines locally, we can respond faster to customer needs, improve service efficiency, and make advanced coffee technology more accessible.”

Raising the bar for coffee in India

As competition intensifies, Khurana views it as a catalyst for growth rather than a challenge. “Competition is a good thing—it keeps you growing and pushes you to improve continuously.”

With its integrated approach—combining global technology, local manufacturing, and end-to-end solutions—Kaapi Solutions is positioning itself as a key enabler of India’s evolving coffee landscape. “Ultimately, our aim is to empower cafés, baristas, and hospitality brands to deliver exceptional coffee experiences and raise the standard of coffee in India.”