This article is the first in a series to mark the 13th birthday of Varta webzine on August 1, 2026. The series profiles budding queer and trans entrepreneurs, and is a citizen journalism activity of the Rainbow Wings peer leadership initiative, a component of Varta Trust’s Mon Bhalo Rakhar Thikana resource centre for queer-trans communities in Greater Kolkata.
The series also marks the fifth edition of the Varta Community Reporters Training and Citizen Journalism Programme. Look out for the articles under the column name Rainbow Wings Diary.
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Dark Roast, Pride or FIFA edition – what comes to your mind when you hear these names? Though seemingly worlds apart, they are parts of the same story. They are the names of emerging entrepreneur Ayush’s curated special coffee preparations sold under the brand name Drip Coffee. No fair peeking into the recipes!
A small kitchen in a rented place in South Kolkata, with barely enough space to take on multiple tasks at once. Yet, it is from this very kitchen that Ayush has been making waves across the city since this summer, appearing at community events and entrepreneurship fairs with his unconventional interpretations of coffee flavours.
Ayush has stirred curiosity and conversations amongst Kolkata’s coffee enthusiasts with his fruit-infused coffee and flavoured chilled coffee, among other creations. His business has found a mention in The Times of India, and his stall was recently showcased at the ‘Satrangi Mela’ at Park Street Social.
Nonetheless, this journey is not solely about establishing a coffee brand. Intertwined with it are stories of struggles with identity, family instability, economic despair, an interrupted education, workplace discrimination, deceit, and an enduring battle with mental health. Yet, despite the innumerable adversities that have come his way, Ayush has fought to carve out a life on his own terms, refusing to conceal his identity along the way. Today, he oversees every aspect of his business himself.
Ayush identifies as a trans man. He became conscious of his gender identity at a very young age, but owing to various family and economic constraints, was unable to begin gender affirmative transition. This prolonged wait left an indelible mark on his life. Revisiting his childhood and youth, Ayush reflects, “I feel a significant part of my childhood is lost. Which is why I’ve wanted to create a brand as such, for the youth and for myself, where I can relive the time I’ve lost.”
This longing to reclaim lost time became one of his inspirations behind his entrepreneurial journey. Breaking away from the traditional taste associated with coffee, he began infusing fruit juices into it. Fruit-infused coffee became the prime attraction of his brand. In place of the familiar bitterness of black coffee or an Americano, Ayush sought to bring a fruity dimension to the distinct character of coffee, aiming to make it an experimental adventure rather than viewing it merely as a beverage.
The brand’s logo is a testament to this philosophy. Featuring a melting skull, it holds two meanings for Ayush. On one hand, it symbolises the pressures of life, mental exhaustion and the ceaseless struggles he has endured. On the other, it challenges traditional notions of coffee by introducing new and unconventional tastes. In essence, the identity of his brand remains deeply intertwined with the struggles that have shaped his life.
At present, Drip Coffee offers special concoctions, including the Dark Roast, Pride and FIFA editions. Experimenting with coffee through different tastes and concepts to make it a more vibrant experience has been his goal all along. Last year, he completed his barista course, which only deepened his relationship with making coffee. However, owing to his gender identity, he faced discrimination and vilification while working at a café. This humiliating experience at the workplace sowed the idea of creating his own independent workplace, pushing him towards establishing his own brand.
The trials and adversities in Ayush’s life did not begin with his working life. His childhood family environment itself was far from easy. He recalls, “Being born a so-called girl child was the beginning of many of the problems I experienced with my father. It was a suffocating environment I grew up in.” His parents’ marital life was not peaceful either, with his father’s extramarital affairs leading to their separation. This hostile family environment, compounded with pessimistic experiences throughout his life, left a lasting impact on his mental health.
Logo of Varta Trust’s Mon Bhalo Rakhar Thikana resource centre. Logo artwork credit: Debarati Mukherjee, Souvik Rakshit
Ayush’s educational journey, too, remained incomplete. He could not complete higher secondary education, creating a significant barrier to entering professional life. Yet, this never prompted him to surrender in the face of adversity. Having worked at call centres and cafés at different points in his life, Ayush eventually completed his course as a barista.
Besides his workplace experiences, financial turmoil also brought considerable difficulties into his life. Before starting his current business, he was involved in a business partnership with another shareholder, an experience that plunged him into severe economic distress. But despite this setback, he did not give up. Instead, he chose to start afresh with Drip Coffee.
Today, that small kitchen in a rented place remains his primary workplace, from where he leads all his operations – experimenting, testing and making coffee. His business began as a bootstrapped venture. While this gives him independence and complete authority over his work, it also places upon him the responsibility of managing every task single-handedly.
Ayush explains that he has been dealing with depression and anxiety for over two and a half years now. Childhood trauma, struggles surrounding his gender identity, and the restlessness arising from feeling that significant periods of his life were lost have all left a profound impact. Starting his business, however, has slowly helped bring back his confidence, leading him to participate in nine different events during June to August 2026, including Mon Bhalo Rakhar Thikana’s first popup during the Pride Month gone by. He received positive responses, with people appreciating the unique quality of his coffee preparations, though he also had to face criticism in some instances.
For Ayush, business is not merely a medium of earning; it is a way to express both his identity and creativity. Having faced limitations in traditional salaried jobs, coupled with being a high-school dropout, he chose entrepreneurship as his path – a path that, as his experiences suggest, has been far from easy. Yet, the sheer determination to start anew despite challenges and hardships is what keeps him going.
Ayush has already envisioned the future of his business. His dream is to open branches of his venture in different places while employing trans men. Apart from establishing a café, he dreams of creating a coffee lab where new tastes, flavours and concepts of coffee can be tested, explored and experimented with.
Aware of the legal landscape, Ayush refers to the NALSA verdict of the Supreme Court of India and speaks of the importance of the right to self-identify one’s gender without needing to undergo any surgical interventions. Yet, he argues that legal rights alone cannot resolve the problems faced by trans people. Changes in the mindset of society are equally important and adds, “As a trans entrepreneur, I want the government and society to encourage us and give us equal treatment.”
And yet, Ayush’s story is not simply the story of a trans entrepreneur. It is a story of self-identity, self-dependence and rebuilding a life anew while facing adversity. Even if fruit-infused coffee remains an unconventional taste to some, its greater significance lies in what it represents – the inspiring possibility of rewriting one’s life from scratch.
Ayush can be contacted at @dripcoffeeindia, 0091 80173 39155 (phone) or 0091 89020 49600 (WhatsApp) – Editor.
This article was originally written in Bengali and translated into English by Ayushman Roy, one of the Rainbow Wings peer leaders associated with Varta Trust – Editor.
About the main photo: Entrepreneur Ayush standing next to his fruit-infused coffee brand’s display. All photo credits: Swati Das
Ayush’s story shows his strength and creativity in entrepreneurship. His unique coffee ideas are really inspiring!