Probably one of the youngest chairmen at 38, Jeffry Rebello wears the mantle of the Chairman of the Karnataka Planters Association lightly. Simple and unassuming Jeffry, sits comfortably in his impeccably appointed apartment on Cleveland Road, fielding questions from Metrolife about the responsibilities his position carries. Multilingual Jeffry is a Bangalore ‘boy’, who enjoys his frequent visits to the City, to spend time with his family, but who otherwise lives on his coffee estate — Agalatti, in a beautifully restored old colonial bungalow. As we chatted, his businesswoman wife, Nisha, wafted in and out, keeping an eye on their daughters and offering us home made goodies, along with a cup of perfectly made Agalatti coffee. 
Business of coffee...My family comprises three generations of coffee planters from my grandfather's time. After my education in St Joseph's Boys' School and College, I did my MBA in Finance in Belgium.
After my studies abroad, I joined the family business. Agalatti estate is in Sakleshpur (Hassan district) and coffee has always been my passion. I enjoy my work, contrary to the belief that a coffee planter's job lacks challenges. 
The function of the Karnataka Planters Association...It is a 50-year-old body which comprises small, medium or large growers coffee and tea growers.
We meet to discuss the latest technology in coffee growing, but mainly liase with the government on legal, labour, tax and other issues pertaining to our Industry.
We have an excellent relationship with the people in government and even though coffee went through a crisis from 2002 to 2004, things are looking up for us now.
My wife and daughters are not as passionate about coffee but understand a lot about coffee... Nisha is a businesswoman who is a partner in her father's engineering company.
However her mother Priya comes from a family of planters. Initially Nisha lived with me on the estate for around six years, so she could understand what coffee is all about. The girls Andritha and Nithika are too young yet to know if they would like to step into my shoes but, of course, they have a world filled with opportunities.
The life of a coffee planter is totally different today than from my father's days...The change from when Nisha and I went to live in the estate in 1994 to today is mind boggling.
There is no rural/city divide any more with the dish TV, mobile phones and internet, I am connected with the world in Sakleshpur today. Holland and Belgium are big buyers of Indian coffee and my coffee is bought by Starbucks and Illy cafe, a coffee house in Europe. 
My work on my coffee estate...is to manage 350 acres of prime coffee on Agalatti which my family bought 15 years ago, in the wooded Western Ghats. This region has been recognised by the WWF as one of the 12 most eco-sensitive and bio-diverse zones on the earth.
Old jungle trees like rosewood, white cedar, red cedar, ficus and silver oak shelter our coffee bushes. Agalatti Robusta is the winner of the 'Flavour of India Fine Cup Award' in 2002 and we sell our coffee to the leading coffee houses in Europe.
I am truly amazed at how the wine growers have penetrated our traditional Indian culture... Indians have been educated to enjoy, fine wines grown in our country. I hope some day we have cafes like those all over Europe which are devoted solely to coffee. That’s the change I would like see happen with regard to coffee consumption in India.
We are getting there with a couple of big brand names, but a lot more could be done in terms of popularising coffee as 'the cup that cheers'.
My favourite cup of coffee...is definitely our regular filter coffee, that is the way I like my coffee the best!