Madrasi Kaapi House Serves Authentic South Indian Coffee on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 24

Madrasi Kaapi House presented a portion of South India’s cherished coffee culture to the Sharks on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 24, hoping to secure a strategic investment that would enable the brand to expand nationally.

Related: Indian School of Calisthenics Debuts on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 23

Madrasi Kaapi House, a QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) coffee brand, was established in 2019 by neighbors turned business partners Venkata Shiva, Simran Venkat, and Smita Rohan Alke with the goal of providing authentic South Indian filter coffee and snacks consistently and quickly. The creators introduced coffee enthusiasts to traditional Indian brewing in a contemporary manner by opening their first store in Mumbai, which has now grown to other locations throughout the city.

The firm, which was founded on a chef-less, process-driven concept, takes pleasure in producing more than 30 different filter coffee-based drinks from a single brew, combining authenticity and adaptability and satisfying changing urban preferences without compromising heritage.

Official Website – Madrasi Kaapi House

In order to honor the rich history and customs of South Indian filter coffee culture, Madrasi Kaapi House was established.

The first flagship store is located in Kandivli, Mumbai.

By fusing tradition with a café-style environment, the company hopes to provide urban audiences with an authentic South Indian coffee experience.

The brand specializes on traditional South Indian filter coffee, or “kaapi,” which is carefully crafted to provide a true flavor and aroma.

Their business approach combines contemporary café vibes with Indian coffee tradition to create relaxed, outdoor places that appeal to both young and seasoned coffee drinkers.

Madrasi Kaapi House distinguishes itself in a market dominated by Western coffee formats like espresso and latte by promoting India’s own filter coffee culture, a deeply ingrained drinking experience cherished for its robust flavor, rich aroma, and cultural heritage.

Beyond coffee, the company offers tasty, reasonably priced options that appeal to both traditionalists and contemporary customers by pairing its brews with South Indian food. In the cutthroat Indian café market, their service strategy places a strong emphasis on speed, price, and consistency.

Sales

FY 19-20 – Rs 8 Lakhs

FY 20-21 – Rs 29.36 Lakhs

FY 22-23 – Rs 1.36 Crores

FY 23-24 – Rs 1.78 Crores

EBITDA – –24%

FY 24-25 – Rs 2.5 Crores

EBITDA – -2%

FY 25-26 Projected – Rs 2.95 Crores

Channel Split

Online – 24%

Offline – 76%

Outlet Split (5)

Own – 2

Franchises – 3

The owners opened the pitch by describing Madrasi Kaapi House as a heritage-driven coffee experience that unites modern retail with tradition, rather than just a café. They described how, while being one of the most popular drinks in India, South Indian filter coffee has not received as much attention in the organized café industry as international chains that serve espresso.

They emphasized that:

• The company specializes in genuine South Indian mocha coffee that is made using age-old methods and is consistently provided quickly and with high quality.
• Their locations provide more than thirty different coffee varieties and South Indian delicacies, all of which are made from a single filter brew, which simplifies operations and expands their offering.
• Because the strategy is based on a process-driven, chef-less system, scalability and consistency are incorporated into the business plan rather than being reliant on specific baristas or chefs.

The Ask

With confidence in their concept and traction from existing stores, the founders made their funding proposal crystal clear:

“We are seeking ₹75 lakh in exchange for 5% equity.”

This pitched amount implied an ₹15 crore valuation for the company — a bold ask that signalled confidence in the brand’s growth potential and scalability.

The ask was framed around growth objectives, including:

• Opening additional outlets across major cities.
• Increasing brand awareness through marketing and strategic partnerships.
• Enhancing operations to support a franchise model or broader retail footprint.

Sharks’ Reactions & Questions

Shark Anupam Mittal gave example of Domino’s and Pizza Hut and talked about their market dominance of 75%. He said that it’s all about scaling, which he didn’t see here, therefore opted out.

Shark Namita Thapar showed her concerns of local taste and the inability of local chains to become Pan India by pointing out the closure of 4 outlets of the brand, so she backed out.

Shark Vineeta Singh suggested founders to aim for revenue per outlet to be at least 10-15 lakhs then to think about scaling and funding. Thus, she said no.

Shark Aman Gupta also pointed out the founder’s shortcoming in choosing outlet location and chose not to invest.

Shark Kanika wanted to invest in the potential of Filter coffee to become national interest but she emphasised on the brands lack of vision and focus, therefore she also backed out.

Just like that, everyone gave their verdict and chose not to invest. Madrasi Kaapi House exited Shark Tank without a deal.

Madrasi Kaapi House’s involvement on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 24 proved beneficial in and of itself, despite the brand’s failure to land a transaction. The proposal effectively positioned the brand as a culturally grounded substitute for Western café chains and identified a clear market gap: the absence of organized, scalable platforms devoted to authentic South Indian filter coffee.

Going forward, Madrasi Kaapi House can leverage the national visibility gained from Shark Tank to:

• Boost consumer confidence and brand recall in both current and new markets
• To attract potential investors, improve unit economics and profitability measures.
• Use a managed franchising model or company-owned stores to grow selectively.
• Create strategic alliances and look into outside institutional or private funding.