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this applies to customers, cafe owners, baristas and even
producers. I wanted to be a part of this solution to change
the dynamics of knowledge withholding, disparity of in-
formation and coffee education in general.
I soon joined a Coffee Machine & Equipment suppli-
er as their Head of Training and Development, and worked
with them for almost 2 years, before I realized that the
company’s goal and my personal goal didn’t align. Right
before the pandemic, I quit that job, and during the pan-
demic I started doing online training, online coffee quiz-
zes and so on.
I thought about how all these amazing people in
coffee have podcasts from different countries, but there
wasn’t one that was from India, or spoke about the Indi-
an coffee scene. I was determined I wanted to be the first
one in India to do this and wanted to share stories from
the perspective of the Indian coffee system, that’s how
the Coffee Protocol Podcast started, and we are currently
on the 4th season.
Post pandemic, I started work in a coffee farm, help-
ing with post-harvest processing techniques. Slowly, I
realized that was something which made me feel like I
was really adding value. The first year I worked with one
farm, the year after with six and the one after with eight.
I am not a big believer of certifications but I also became
a Q Processor because it added credibility to my work,
whether I like it or not.

Can you tell us a bit more about your relationship
with motorcycles? When did it start, how it developed
and how you are involved with them today.
I think it started when I was quite young, when I
first stole my dad’s scooter, for a ride when I was around
thirteen years old. I remember I loved the thrill of it. As
I got older, I got a motorcycle that was handed down to
me from my brother while I was still in school.
I was really into motorcycle racing, that got me
hooked on learning more about the two wheels. After
Sadly “simple” doesn’t sell well, if you have half- replicate and coffee shops need to offer consistency. An- Tell us about your journey from Barista on Bike to coming back to India in 2015 the first thing I saved for
baked knowledge and you throw in some complicated other challenge is influence and power dynamics. Imagine becoming a Q Processor, Coffee Trainer, and Host of was a motorcycle. Post the 100-day trip, I was invited by
words which no one understands, people automatically someone from a different country, a different culture, Coffee Protocol Podcast? TedX to give a talk on solo traveling. Today, when the
believe you know a lot about the subject. Only if you know with different food habits, who probably doesn’t have When I was working for this Indian chain of cafes in coffee harvest season starts, I ride from my current place
a lot about a subject, can you actually make it simple. earthy or umami taste in their food culture or flavor lex- Gujarat, I went on a trip, partly for the company and in Delhi all the way to Bangalore and then to Chikmaglur,
Another challenge is that we are making specialty icon, declares that umami or earthy flavor is a defect or partly for my own research. This trip was a 100 days ride Coorg, Koddai, Yercaud, Munnar.
coffee very exclusive and non “simple”. We are forcing too unwanted taste. through India and Nepal on my motorcycle, talking to I pretty much live from my bags that hang on the
many do’s & don’ts on our customers. Like “drink your But maybe for a country like India or Japan for ex- people about coffee. Barista as a profession never had any motorcycle. I love that part of the year. When it’s me
coffee black”. Recipes are getting just too complex, like you ample these flavors are favorable and perhaps a good respect in India. During this trip, I kept my Instagram talking to myself in my helmet and thinking about ideas,
are supposed to swirl it nineteen times and stand on one flavor note for a lot of people. With our current Instagram handle as @Baristaonbike, because I wanted to use it as a random things, and songs while I reach the next coffee
leg to pour the water from the expensive kettle at the speed trends, a lot of things get pushed on as facts and universal conversation icebreaker. That’s how I got that name. farm. I even got married on a motorcycle last year. I
of 3.5 ml per second and what not. My idea is to make it law in coffee just because a well-known influencer said After the trip, I realized that a huge gap exists be- currently have two motorcycles: a Royal Enfield Hima-
simple and repeatable, otherwise it will be impossible to so and has a huge following. tween what people know about coffee, and the truth. And layan & a KTM 390 Adventure.

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