Profile Overview
Akshay Dashrath and Komal Sable, the husband-and-wife co-founders of South India Coffee Company (SICC), are fifth-generation coffee producers hailing from Coorg, one of India's oldest and most renowned coffee-growing regions. In 2017, they founded SICC with the vision of creating a collaborative supply chain focused on sustainably sourced Indian specialty coffee, aiming to bring the rich flavours of India to the global market.
Akshay Dashrath and Komal Sable's foray into the Indian coffee industry from their lives in London is far from conventional. Akshay, a successful tech entrepreneur, was at the forefront of Android development during its early days in 2008. His expertise in technology was complemented by Komal's background in business and fashion. A business graduate, Komal had ventured into the fashion industry and established her own fashion line in London. Their fast-moving careers seemed worlds apart from coffee cultivation, making their transition into the coffee industry all the more intriguing.
When Akshay’s mother started managing a part of the family coffee estate - Mooleh Manay- it required frequent involvement, despite their busy lives in London. Their involvement in the estate side also led them to get immersed in the coffee culture of East London, surrounded by third-wave coffee shops that showcased origins from Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, and Africa. Noticing the absence of Indian coffee, sparked a desire to highlight the rich potential of Indian coffee. This realisation led them to explore ways to introduce high-quality Indian coffee to a global audience, setting the stage for the creation of the South India Coffee Company (SICC).
Raise coffee beds drying coffee at Mooleh Manay
The Genesis of South India Coffee Company
Their journey began with a challenge: gaining attention for Indian coffee in a market dominated by other origins. Komal vividly recalls approaching importers, often facing rejection. However, persistence paid off when a client from Akshay’s tech company, passionate about coffee, requested green coffee beans. This led to them sending green coffee to a roaster on a remote island in England. The roaster was astounded by the quality, asking for more to roast and share. But he wanted them to handle all logistics, including shipping and warehousing as he didn’t want to deal with it. This ended up leading them to start establishing their own import and export processes, ensuring transparency and control over the entire process.
Coffee raking at Mooleh Manay coffee estate
Akshay installing soil sensors in Mooleh Manay estate
Seeing a clear opportunity, they began sourcing high-quality beans from their family estates and introduced them to the London coffee scene. The unexpected success in a niche market validated their efforts, and they founded SICC to bring the rich, diverse flavours of Indian coffee to the global stage.
Their first shipment was a regular washed Indian coffee, which paved the way for more experimentation. The following year, they ventured into producing a natural lot—a rarity at the time. Despite initial scepticism from local experts who doubted the marketability and cost-effectiveness of naturally processed coffee, Akshay and Komal persisted. They managed to convince their partners to take a chance on this unique lot, which marked their entry into specialty coffee production.
It's not just about making money; it's about creating a sustainable ecosystem for our producers.
- Akshay Dashrath, SICC
So, what is the South India Coffee Company
The SICC is dedicated to bringing Indian specialty coffee to the world. They work closely with Indian producers, providing support with coffee processing and ensuring that the estate names and producer identities are highlighted in their sales. They handle their own logistics, warehousing, and exports, supplying coffee to various parts of the world. By aggregating smaller lots, SICC enables even small-scale growers to find markets overseas without minimum volume requirements, helping to elevate Indian coffee on the global stage.
Akshay explains, "We realised the importance of transparency in the coffee supply chain. The roaster didn't want the headache of logistics, which meant we had to take charge of everything. That's how we got into the journey of getting Indian coffee into the UK."
They set up their own import and export companies in India, warehousing the coffee in the UK, and selling directly to roasters.
SICC operates with a direct trade model, focusing on specialty coffee. They work closely with producers, offering support and guidance on processing techniques.
"Our goal is to ensure that the roaster can connect directly with the producer," says Komal.
The balance of biodiversity at Mooleh Manay
This approach fosters transparency and trust, allowing roasters to know exactly where their coffee comes from and how much the producers are being paid.
The emphasis on transparency extends to their pricing model.
"We make a 10% margin on the coffee, ensuring that the farmers receive fair compensation," explains Komal. This model is designed to support small-scale producers and ensure that high-quality Indian coffee reaches global markets.
Indian coffee isn't just competing with other Indian coffees; it's competing with Brazilian, Guatemalan, and numerous other origins.
- Akshay Dashrath, SICC
Navigating Challenges and Building a Sustainable Ecosystem
Akshay and Komal's journey has not been without challenges. The fluctuating commodity prices and the complexities of managing a transparent supply chain require constant attention. However, their commitment to promoting Indian coffee and supporting local producers drives them forward.
"We want to make sure there's enough Indian coffee in the market," says Akshay. "It's not just about making money; it's about creating a sustainable ecosystem for our producers."
SICC's model of pre-orders and direct trade ensures consistency and reliability for both producers and roasters. By committing to buy specific volumes of coffee each year, they provide stability for the growers and meet the demands of their global clients. This approach has enabled them to build strong, long-term relationships with both sides of the supply chain.
"It has to be a partnership," says Komal. This means being transparent and honouring commitments on both sides. "For instance, we know that if it's rained or the weather hasn't been ideal, it affects the harvest. We need to understand, support and communicate with each other through these challenges."
This direct engagement has helped them organically grow their network. Komal adds, "We want to work with roasters who understand what we're doing here."
Their model is capital-intensive, holding coffees in the UK and US, but this approach allows them to ensure availability and meet demand throughout the year. Approximately 70% of their coffee is pre-booked, with the remaining 30% held to accommodate new demand. This strategy has enabled them to build a reliable and flexible supply chain.
SICC is focusing on Coffea Excelsa to understand its climate resistance
Building a Transparent and Sustainable Coffee Supply Chain
Akshay highlights the global competition in the specialty coffee market.
"Indian coffee isn't just competing with other Indian coffees; it's competing with Brazilian, Guatemalan, and numerous other origins,” he says.
This means that pricing has to be competitive yet fair. "Our pricing is based on cost of cultivation and early season agreements, ensuring stability for both growers and roasters."
Understanding the different market requirements is crucial.
Indian growers have extensive knowledge about cultivation. Post-harvest practices are where improvements can make a significant impact.
- Komal Sable, SICC
"The US market has different demands compared to the UK market," Komal notes. "It's been a learning experience sending samples and understanding what each market prefers."
This adaptability helps SICC tailor their offerings to meet diverse global tastes. They aim for a consistent rating of 82 to 88 so that their roasters know what to expect from the coffees, which helps build trust and reliability. They support growers in achieving these standards, often advising on processing techniques and best practices.
The couple also address the practicalities of chemical testing and certification.
"We do rigorous testing to ensure our coffees meet international standards," says Komal. While they acknowledge that certifications can be costly, they believe in the expertise of Indian coffee producers.
"Indian growers have extensive knowledge about cultivation. Post-harvest practices are where improvements can make a significant impact."
The busy period of Coffee harvesting at SICC's Mooleh Manay
Commitment to Coffee Excellence through R&D
Walking through Komal and Akshay’s setup for the SICC, it was evident that their operation was more than just about processing specialty coffee. What stood out was their in-house R&D setup, featuring dedicated spaces for growing various species of native Indian coffees and Akshay’s in-house lab.
Christened as the SICC Labs, the research and development wing of. SICC focuses on low-intervention Coffea species for the future. The team onducts research projects aimed at climate-proofing coffee and coffee agricultural practices.
Some of their research involves Coffea Excelsa, Indian Native Coffea species, such as Coffea Travencorensis, Wightiana and Benghalensis and alternate Coffee Species, including Coffeea Stenophylla and Racemosa.
They are currently working on a project to propagate the Coffea excelsa plant variety in collaboration with Dr Aaron Davis at Kew Botanical Gardens. They found promising plants on their farm and are growing them at different altitudes. They received funding from the Coffee Circle Foundation in Berlin, which is helping with this project. This is the first grant the foundation has given to an Indian organization. The funding will support research on how suitable Coffea excelsa is as a climate-resilient species.
Planting new saplings at Moolah Maney
SICC’s Dual Mission: Promoting Indian Coffee and Advancing Coffee Research
The essence of South India Coffee Company (SICC) lies in its dual focus. One part of SICC is dedicated to elevating Indian coffee on the global stage, working closely with growers—both large and small—to share knowledge, and best practices, and manage the logistics and international demand. The second part operates as an in-house R&D hub, concentrating on coffee species and varieties. With a keen eye on finding the optimal balance between low effort and high yield, they experiment with different varieties to ensure sustainable and profitable coffee cultivation.
From a species perspective, Akshay envisions a future where coffee cultivation involves low-intervention farming with a focus on profitability and sustainability.
"I want to solve problems with low-intervention coffee that performs well across the board," he explains. This approach is particularly suited to traditional coffee-growing regions, where intensive agriculture is challenging due to environmental conditions.
From a perspective of exporting specialty coffee, Komal says, "I want to see our coffee in all parts of the world, featured on the menus of many renowned roasters. Indian coffee should be a staple, recognized for its quality and uniqueness. The more roasters we work with, the stronger our ability to supply and procure quality coffee on both ends of the supply chain.”
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