Bili Hu, a premium coffee brand, was founded by Bharat Singhal in 2016. Born out of passion for premium coffee and the accompanying coffee experience, Bili Hu targeted elite customers, without losing sight of Gen Z customers, who wanted an experiential tryst with coffee. In a crowded market of multiple players serving artisanal and specialty coffee, Singhal began operations with a vision of making Bili Hu, a national premium coffee brand. He started with an asset light model serving coffee in five-star hotels, different cafes and restaurants (HoReCas), selling roasted beans online and via some premium retail stores. However, the growth of Bili had been slow over the last 7-8 years. As of March 2024, the turnover of the company was approximately INR 2 crores (USD 2,37,188). Singhal had three growth options: a) maintain status quo—continue to use the existing asset-light model in which the café was owned and operated by a partner, and sell coffee beans or ground coffee to five-star hotels, at premium retail stores and through Bili Hu’s website; b) make Bili Hu coffee available at all online and offline large retail and grocery stores and supermarkets in India, and set up vending machines for corporates; c) set up Bili Hu’s own cafés (company-owned and company-operated). Each option had its own set of promises and challenges.