It began with retailing coffee in the neighborhood. It leads to the brewing of a filter coffee behemoth. And the founding of a family. Both of whom carry the name of Cothas. We have to credit the sensibilities of a visionary. That of Sri Krishnaiah Chetty, who, in 1947, set up a shop selling filter coffee powder to domestic customers and hoteliers. Wherein he procured green coffee seeds of different varieties from the local market, and masterfully roasted them to perfect temperatures, then finely ground them, and thereafter packed and sealed them before customers.