Bengaluru, 23 September 2026: PulseAI Research, the consumer intelligence and insights division powered by Smytten, today released its latest consumer intelligence report, “Matcha Has Left the Cup,” revealing how matcha is evolving from a beverage trend into a broader cultural and lifestyle cue among young Indian consumers.
The study finds that matcha’s journey in India has moved well beyond discovery. While 88.3% of consumers are aware of matcha and 78.3% have tried it, 67.5% currently drink matcha, with 47.6% consuming it weekly or more. What began as a trend associated with cafés, experimentation, and visual appeal is increasingly becoming part of consumers’ regular beverage choices, signalling a shift from curiosity to routine.
This growing familiarity is also translating into preference. When consumers were asked to choose between café beverages at the same price, 50% selected matcha or a matcha latte, compared with 24.1% for cold coffee and smaller shares for other beverages. The finding suggests that matcha’s appeal is no longer dependent solely on its novelty or premium positioning. It is beginning to hold its own as a preferred choice.
As matcha moves from something consumers try to something they choose, its meaning is expanding too. One in two consumers associate matcha with health, but health is only one part of the picture. Consumers also connect it with aesthetics, premium cues, trend relevance and wellness. This combination of functional and cultural associations is what gives matcha significance beyond the drink itself, making it a shorthand for a particular kind of contemporary lifestyle.
That broader meaning is already beginning to travel beyond the cup. 71.1% of consumers express interest in matcha-inspired skincare, making skincare the strongest category tested for potential matcha extensions. Interest also extends across fitness and nutrition, fashion and accessories, home and lifestyle, and makeup. The findings indicate that consumers are willing to see matcha enter new spaces when those categories have a natural connection to the health, wellness and aesthetic associations they already attach to it.
However, the research also reveals an important boundary to this enthusiasm. While 61.4% of consumers describe themselves as curious, visually drawn or trend-led, 30.1% say a Matcha Edition can feel trend-following or forced. This suggests that consumers may be open to matcha-inspired innovation, but not every use of the trend will automatically feel relevant. For brands, the opportunity lies not simply in adding matcha as a product or campaign label, but in creating a reason for the association to exist.
The same distinction is visible in how consumers respond to matcha’s visual identity. More than 73% found matcha-green creative directions appealing even when the word “matcha” was not mentioned. The finding suggests that the colour, mood and styling associated with matcha are beginning to carry some of the meaning consumers have built around the category independently of the beverage itself. In other words, matcha may no longer need to be explicitly named to evoke what consumers associate with it.
Commenting on the findings, Siddhartha Nangia, Co-Founder, Smytten & PulseAI Research, said “What is particularly interesting is how quickly consumer behaviour can evolve from curiosity and experimentation into more established habits and preferences. As consumers engage with emerging trends, they increasingly look beyond the product itself and form associations around health, wellness, aesthetics and lifestyle. For brands, understanding these underlying associations is becoming just as important as understanding what consumers choose, as it helps distinguish between trends that have genuine relevance and those that are simply passing moments.”
As matcha continues to find relevance beyond beverages, the findings point to a more nuanced relationship between consumers and the trend. While consumers are increasingly open to seeing matcha-inspired ideas across categories, the research also shows that relevance matters. A matcha extension needs to have a clear connection to the product and the associations consumers already hold with the category, rather than relying on the popularity of the trend alone. This becomes particularly important as brands look to take matcha into new spaces, from skincare and fitness to fashion, beauty and lifestyle.