New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- Quitting his job took Rishwin Devaya back to his roots. Devaya returned to his century-old family coffee estate in Coorg to build his coffee brand, Riverside Coffee. The brand went from selling its coffee beans to commodity markets and exporters to selling directly to consumers (D2C). Today, Riverside Coffee generates Rs.2 crore in annual revenue, growing 30% year-on-year.

Riverside Coffee began in 1898 with Devaya's great-great-grandfather, who moved to a part of the family's larger estate in Coorg, Karnataka, to look after its paddy fields. A disagreement with his brother led him to settle at the farthest end of the property, Devaya shared during a chat with Livemint.

Keeping coffee at the centre of the business,...