India’s next big consumer brands won’t be built on taste. They’ll be built on habits.
In this episode of Khul Ke Scale, Shantanu Deshpande (Founder & CEO, Bombay Shaving Company) sits down with Rahul Jain (Co-founder, Beanly Coffee) and Samayesh Khanna (Co-founder, Beanly Coffee), along with industry veterans Shiv Shivakumar (Operating Partner, Advent | Ex-SVP, Nokia | Ex-CEO (India), PepsiCo) and Toshan Tamhane (Global Chief Operating Officer, UPL) to break down what it really takes to build a modern consumer brand in India.
From coffee habits and convenience culture to product psychology, repeat purchases, distribution, and brand recall, this episode goes deep into why some brands become daily rituals while most disappear after the initial hype cycle.
Beanly Coffee explains why they’re betting on India’s “on-the-go” lifestyle, how small product decisions influence consumer behaviour, and why building a habit is far more important than simply building a good product.
At the centre of the conversation is a bigger question every founder struggles with: Why do consumers remember some brands instantly… while forgetting others completely?
What you’ll learn from this episode:
• Why 25% of Indians skipping breakfast is a massive business opportunity • Why convenience is becoming India’s biggest consumer trend • Why most D2C brands fail after their first growth spike • The real role of packaging, fragrance, texture, and recall in FMCG • How founders misunderstand consumer behaviour while scaling • What makes certain products become part of people’s daily routines
If you’re building a consumer brand, D2C startup, FMCG business, or simply trying to understand where Indian consumer behaviour is heading, this episode offers a sharp breakdown of what actually creates long-term brand relevance in one of the world’s toughest markets.
Navigate your way through these chapters:
00:00 Coming Up
01:40 Introduction
02:25 How Beanly Started
10:39 Question 1: Innovation, Scale, and Strategic Focus
19:35 What Latin America Teaches About Coffee
26:18 Question 2: Building the Right Omnichannel Mix
34:38 Question 3: How to Think About ESOP Allocation
44:00 Building a Strong Employee Value Proposition
49:46 Question 4: Choosing the Right Investors and Capital Structure
53:24 Shiv’s Key Takeaways for Beanly
59:41 Closing Thoughts
