Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters has taken a decisive step in expanding what a premium D2C café experience means in India. In a move that blends wellness, infrastructure, and brand-led execution, the craft coffee major has committed to investing millions alongside deeptech startup Praan to deploy medical-grade indoor air purification systems across its cafés nationwide. The initiative places clean air at the core of Blue Tokai’s D2C business strategy, rather than treating it as an optional amenity.
At a time when outdoor pollution levels in Indian metros, particularly Delhi NCR, frequently cross AQI levels of 700, Blue Tokai’s move signals a shift in how D2C brands in India are thinking about consumer experience. With nearly 200 cafés currently operational and plans to scale to 400 locations over the next 18 months, the brand already serves over 1.5 million customers. This expansion makes indoor air quality not just a health decision, but a long-term D2C infrastructure investment aligned with growth.
According to Blue Tokai’s leadership, the decision emerged from recognising that most conventional air purification systems are built for Western pollution conditions and are ineffective against India’s extreme particulate matter. As part of this strategy, Blue Tokai evaluated multiple solutions before selecting Praan’s HIVE system, a product originally engineered for industrial environments where PM2.5 levels exceed 100,000 µg/m³. The same technology has now been adapted for consumer-facing spaces, including cafés, homes, and offices.
The partnership underscores Blue Tokai’s execution-first approach that has helped it scale as one of India’s most admired D2C food and beverage brands. Rather than opting for cost-effective alternatives, the company chose what it calls a “north-star product” priced at approximately ₹60,000 plus GST per unit. The goal is ambitious: maintain indoor PM2.5 levels at or below 30 µg/m³ across cafés, even when outdoor air quality is hazardous and doors open hundreds of times a day.
Praan’s HIVE systems are designed to remove ultra-fine particulates down to 0.015 microns while reporting air quality in real time. This capability aligns with Blue Tokai’s broader D2C brand philosophy, where transparency, quality, and trust extend beyond the product in the cup to the entire café environment. Pilot deployments in select Delhi NCR cafés have already demonstrated single-digit AQI levels indoors, reinforcing confidence in nationwide rollout plans.
From Praan’s perspective, the collaboration represents a significant milestone in scaling its technology beyond industrial use cases. The startup designs and manufactures its systems in Mumbai, sourcing over 90% of raw materials locally, positioning itself firmly within India’s deeptech and Make-in-India ecosystem. Backed by global investors and operators associated with companies like Tesla and Anduril, Praan is building a platform focused on making ultra-fine particulate removal abundant indoors.
Deliveries for Blue Tokai cafés began in late December 2025, starting with NCR locations, and will expand across India over the next 18 months. As both companies move forward, the partnership sets a new benchmark for D2C brands, QSR chains, and experiential retail in India. It reflects a broader evolution within the D2C ecosystem, where growth, brand trust, and infrastructure-led investments are increasingly intertwined.
By committing capital, technology, and long-term intent, Blue Tokai is not just investing in cleaner air, but in the future of consumer expectations in India’s D2C industry.
