Ananya Krishnan spent six years behind espresso bars before she realised the coffee reaching most cups in India was mediocre — not because of bad baristas, but because the supply chain was broken. Beans were old, origins were mystery blends, and roasters were optimising for shelf-life, not flavour.

In 2016, with a secondhand 5kg drum, a rented garage in Coorg, and three direct-trade relationships, she began Ember. The name is intentional — not the blaze, but the quiet, sustained heat that makes something extraordinary possible.

Today, Ember operates from a 3,000 sq ft roastery in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar with a 25kg Loring Smart Roast drum, a cupping lab open to the public every Saturday, and 14 origin relationships across 8 countries.