Matt Chitharanjan
Blue Tokai Coffee roasters CEO
Matt Chitharanjan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, India's pioneering specialty coffee brand that has revolutionized the country's coffee culture since 2013. Originally from the United States, Matt graduated from NYU's Stern School of Business with a B.S. in Finance and Economics (1999-2003). His coffee passion was sparked during harsh Canadian winters where drinking three to four cups daily became both survival strategy and appreciation for quality coffee, a stark contrast to the regular mass-produced or street-style beverages he grew up with in the US.
After working in economic and real estate consulting, Matt moved to Chennai, India in 2011 for a job opportunity, a city holding special significance as his father's birthplace. He later joined IFMR LEAD as Senior Research Associate (2011-2012), where he worked on financial inclusion research. During this period, Matt and his wife Namrata Asthana, whom he met while she was Communications Director at the Centre of Development Finance, discovered a critical gap: the dearth of freshly roasted, high-quality Arabica coffee in India despite the country's rich coffee-growing heritage.
In October 2012, they co-founded Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters from two spare rooms in their home after moving to Delhi, initially considering ventures like microbreweries and mushroom cultivation before settling on coffee. The name "Blue Tokai" reflects their commitment to showcasing great Indian coffee with brand identity honoring the coffee's origins. From humble beginnings with a 500-gram roaster and contacting estates growing high-quality coffee, Blue Tokai has grown exponentially to 155+ outlets across eight Indian states and even Japan, with presence in four major cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore) comprising 95% of business.
With partnerships across 25+ Indian coffee estates, over 300 employees, and significant Zomato integration since 2017, Matt has successfully transformed Blue Tokai from a passionate hobby into a flourishing business that's changing how India experiences coffee, one cup at a time.
