Nestlé identifies India and China as key coffee growth markets

Navratil said in May 2023 that Nestlé’s coffee division was ‘gaining household penetration’ in India | Photo credit: Daniele D'Andreti

India and China are key coffee growth markets for Nestlé, according to the Head of the Swiss food and beverage giant’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit. 
 

Speaking during a visit to Vietnam’s Dak Lak province, Philipp Navratil said he is ‘bullish’ about rising coffee consumption in the world’s two most populous countries. 

“We have a really strong footprint in Asia and we are really bullish about those markets that have very low per capita consumption. China is really a big focus, and India is a big focus,” he said. 

It is the second time this year Navratil has highlighted India as a key growth market for Nestlé. Speaking at the company’s India headquarters in Gurugram in May 2023, he said Nestlé’s coffee division was ‘gaining household penetration’ in India as consumers increasingly turn to more premium beverages.   

Nestlé sells a range of retailed Nescafé products in India, including the Nescafé Classic, Gold and Sunrise blends. The group also distributes its app-enabled É by Nescafé coffee maker in the south Asian country. 

In addition to its packaged Nescafé range, Nestlé sells Nescafé Dulce Gusto and Nespresso products in China. 

Vevey-based Nestlé reported strong Nescafé sales in India during its third quarter, alongside low single-digit coffee sales growth in China, supported by ready-to-drink (RTD) products. 

Navratil also highlighted opportunities to increase instant coffee and RTD sales in other markets with large populations but low per capita coffee consumption, including Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand.