In the heart of Mumbai’s art district, surrounded by galleries and colonial facades, stands a space that has quietly shaped how the city drinks its coffee and how it connects with one another — Kala Ghoda Cafe.

The cafe, which opened its doors in 2009, emerged partly from the personal desire of Farhad Bomanjee, a mechanical engineer who had worked across the US and Europe before returning to Mumbai to join his family business, and found himself craving a good cup of coffee. “I wanted a place where I could have a cup of coffee the way I like it — simple, no fuss,” he said.

At the time, chain cafes were just about taking over Mumbai, but none offered what Bomanjee was looking for — warmth, conversation, and a sense of calm. So when the tenants of a small ground-floor space in his family’

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