India still wakes up to 'chai' but vibes to coffee: Survey on country's most preferable caffeine drink

What do Indians do when they wake up – they reach out for a hot cup of tea or coffee and do it every single day.

In an interesting comparison, a survey found that India runs high on caffeine drinks, with 69 per cent of the surveyed population preferring drinking tea and 26 per cent developing an appetite for coffee.

The study also found that about 45 per cent of the surveyed pool had three cups or more of their preferred beverage.

“I might take coffee twice a week but I drink tea all day,” said a user on Reddit.

Another user said, “Coffee is when I need that jolt, but tea is a gentle awakening in the morning.”

Caffeine drinks are slowly growing on Indians, with some developing a taste for both tea and coffee.

It pointed out a growing trend where more Indians are willing to try packaged tea, tea blends like herbal tea, green tea, black tea and other combinations, with or without milk.

Likewise, a shift towards cafe culture is also making coffee popular among people, particularly among the middle income groups and youth.

As per the Botree Software, a Warehouse-to-Consumer distribution solutions company, Southern region in India is  where coffee has more than 25 per cent share in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan cities while tea market remains predominant in northern, eastern and western markets.

However, the preferences are going beyond geographical boundaries, the survey has found out.

What did the survey find?

A survey done by LocalCircles aimed at understanding the changing consumer habits when it comes to their favourite caffeine beverages they like consuming on a daily basis.

The survey received about 50,000 responses from consumers in 385 districts in India.

Among the respondents, 42 per cent were from tier 1, 26 per cent from tier 2 and 32 per cent from tier 3 and 4.

The following questions were asked to the participants:

• How many cups of coffee or tea on an average were they taking everyday?

• What is the drink they prefer consuming everyday?

• What kind of tea or coffee do they purchase for consumption?

The study found that about 45 per cent of the respondents had more than three cups of tea or coffee almost everyday.

When it came to preference, tea surpassed coffee with 69 per cent having tea while 26 per cent consuming coffee.

Caffeine rich drinks are known to reduce cortisol levels, reduce anxiety and boost mindfulness. Hence, they sit perfectly with people sitting in front of electronic gadgets, using their mental energy to the last drop or providing warmth and a sense of comfort to those having jitters or emotional discomfort.

In an interesting development, many cafes are arranging alcohol free, daytime rave parties that serve coffee, combining it with electronic beats.

A pool of choices

The survey found that whether one prefers tea or coffee, the consumers tend to have a vast variety of choices.

For tea, they seem to be buying branded tea packs (73 per cent), local tea leaves (19 per cent) and green tea sachets (8 per cent).

Likewise for coffee, the respondents preferred the ‘south Indian local coffee’ and among the branded coffee, Nestle Nescafe Instant coffee got the most votes.

As per the report analysis, the surge in demand for coffee can be  attributed to a shift towards increasing cafe culture and rise of e-commerce making premium coffee available to a wider audience.

Also, over the years rising awareness on benefits of coffee and its rich content in anti-oxidants have pushed more people to make it a part of their day. Some have switched to black coffee and are consuming it as a detoxifying drink.

As per reports, coffee exports crossed $1.8 billion in the fiscal year 2024-25, more than doubling in value over the last decade.

As for tea, 80 per cent of the output produced is used for domestic consumption. Also, more people are choosing packaged tea to lower chances of adulteration and enjoy superior quality tea.

There is a sudden growth in demand for green tea in areas (mostly urban) where caffeine drinks are preferred without milk.

With an increasing workforce and fast-paced lifestyle, the easy-to-make drinks market is predicted to see a rapid surge in the upcoming years.