Cold coffee turns year-round category as Nestle, HUL, Sleepy Owl chase Gen Z RTD boom

Once a summer indulgence, cold coffee is fast becoming a 12-month category in India. Sleepy Owl now derives 30% of sales from RTD cold coffee growing at 60-70% CAGR, while quick commerce on Zepto and Flipkart Minutes compresses the winter dip to 20%. Nestle, HUL's Bru and Tata Starbucks are expanding portfolios as sugar-free demand jumps 8x.

— Filed Wed, 10 Jun, 2026, 00:56 IST · Source ET Small Business · Updated

Cold coffee is emerging as a fast-growing year-round category in India, with Nestle, HUL's Bru, Tata Starbucks and D2C brand Sleepy Owl expanding RTD portfolios as Gen Z demand and quick commerce platforms like Zepto and Flipkart Minutes accelerate consumption.