From Job Crisis to Coffee Dream: The Nila Origin Story

If you’ve ever held a cup of Nila coffee in your hands, chances are you’ve tasted not just the beans, but a bit of our story too.

Nila was born out of a quiet kind of magic, the kind that comes from long drives to a family estate nestled in the hills of Chikmagalur, from conversations over filter coffee, and from moments of uncertainty that lead to new beginnings. It’s not the story of a Silicon Valley-funded startup or a third-wave coffee expert. It’s the story of a small idea, brewed with love, that found its way into people’s homes.

It all begins with Clover Leaf Estate.

A family’s estate, Clover Leaf, has stood amidst the coffee plantations of Chikmagalur since the 1960s. It’s a place where time slows down, where mornings are filled with the chirping of birds, woodpeckers hard at work, and the scent of roasted beans. My brother-in-law now runs the estate, carrying forward a legacy rooted in care for the land and the people who work it. When my sister married into the family, our lives became forever tied to this estate. And for me, it began with the coffee.

For over eleven years, I’ve been drinking filter coffee made from Clover Leaf beans. It became more than just a morning ritual; it became my comfort, my anchor, my flavour of home. But I never thought it would become a business. Not until I was staring at a career that no longer made sense and a future that felt foggy.

At the time, I was in a place of transition. My job wasn’t working out, and the idea of searching for another one, especially one that would allow me to work remotely from Mangalore, felt overwhelming. I was burnt out, creatively stifled, and unsure of what was next. That’s when a memory came back to me, an old conversation with my brother-in-law about starting something with coffee. He already had the beans. I had the ideas. Why not give it a shot?

I had no business plan, no investors, no five-year projections. But I had taste, a lifetime of brand and communication experience, and a deep love for coffee. So I started building.

Filter coffee was the obvious starting point. It’s what I knew best. I launched Nila with just that one product, thinking maybe a few people would try it. But I realized pretty quickly that a brand can’t stand on just one cup. I began to explore and expand; instant coffee in familiar flavours, ground coffee, and homemade chilli oils.

What is Nila?

Nila isn’t loud or fancy. It’s calm, comforting, and made with care. Nila isn’t run by expert baristas or coffee connoisseurs – it’s built by someone who’s still learning, still figuring things out, and still chasing that perfect cup on a quiet, rainy Tuesday. More than anything, it’s meant to be shared. We come from simple people and simple ways. There’s no pretense, no performance. Just honestly good coffee and food products made with care.

I think that’s what people are really craving now. Not just a caffeine hit, but a sense of connection. A brand that doesn’t pretend to be perfect. A cup that tastes like effort, but also ease. Something you can trust and return to, day after day.

So that’s how Nila began. Not in a boardroom, but at a kitchen table. Not with a pitch deck, but with a question: “What if I built something of my own?”

Every packet of Nila coffee carries a bit of Clover Leaf with it. It carries the hands that picked the beans, the family who roasted them, and the leap I took when the usual path no longer made sense. I hope when you brew a cup, you feel all of that – and then some.

Here’s to small ideas, big dreams, and really good coffee.