India, Sept. 25 -- As meta as it sounds, something is brewing in the world of brew. Forget, for a minute, how many coffee chains have cropped up in your neighbourhood. Forget about roasts, Black-Cat Frappucinos, and why hipsters don't talk about cold brew anymore. And focus on the bean.

About 99% of the world's coffee comes from the Arabica or Robusta species of the plant. India, the sixth-largest producer, grows them both. A whole 70.3% of our coffee is Robusta: Hardy, thirsty, high-caffeine, the kind that goes into instant coffee and espresso mixes. The rest, roughly, is Arabica, the refined, fussy cousin from the higher slopes; who likes the cold, and delivers more flavour than kick. Arabica is the bean that's keeping India's specialt...