Bengaluru: At the Invest Karnataka 2025 summit, Industrialist Anand Mahindra shared three key life lessons he carried from Kodagu, where he spent part of his childhood.

Anand Mahindra reflected on his deep personal connection with the State. “Karnataka is deeply entwined with my childhood memories because my family has close ties to Kodagu,” he said.

Recalling his early years, the Mahindra Group Chairman said that his parents were captivated by Karnataka’s beauty and wanted a base where their children could be close to nature.

“In the late 1960s, we spent a lot of time in Kutta village near Nagarahole, where my parents took on the challenge of developing a coffee plantation from scratch. I learned the basics of coffee growing simply by observing. As a child, I didn’t realise it then, but in hindsight, those years on the plantation were formative. Watching coffee grow taught me invaluable life lessons that have shaped me as an adult and a business leader.”

Mahindra outlined three major lessons he carried from coffee cultivation into life and business. “First, successful coffee growing requires the bushes to be carefully planted and deeply rooted. The same principle applies to personal and business relationships — they, too, must be firmly and deeply rooted.

“Second, coffee plants need support to grow. They thrive under the shelter of shade-giving trees that nurture and protect them. Similarly, people and businesses grow best when they have guidance and support from those who can provide the right environment.

“And third, the plantation taught me the virtues of patience. Coffee doesn’t yield returns overnight; it takes at least five years for the first harvest — five years of toil and care. But this process instils faith in the future and confidence that hard work will pay off. The long wait is worth it, whether in                                          life or in business.”