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US-based coffee chain Starbucks is set to bring its first Global Capability Center (GCC) in India in Chennai. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government for the facility. The aim is to create around 800 technology jobs in its first phase.
Starbucks said, “Chennai was selected after evaluating factors including access to technology talent, employee retention and infrastructure. The company plans to integrate the new center into its broader global technology network.”
The Chennai hub will work with Starbucks technology and business teams in the US and other international locations. The company highlighted that the center will help build capabilities in-house over time and reduce its reliance on some third-party service providers.
Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan said, “India remains an important market for the company. He also highlighted Chennai’s skilled technology workforce, relatively low attrition and infrastructure as factors behind the decision.”
The Starbucks announcement adds another multinational to Chennai’s expanding GCC ecosystem. The city already hosts technology centers for companies including Citi, Barclays and American Express. According to the Tamil Nadu government, Chennai accounts for roughly 10% of India’s GCC base.
India emerged as the world’s largest GCC hub. A 2026 Nasscom-Zinnov report stated, “The country includes more than 2,100 GCCs employing about 2.36 million people and generating nearly USD 100 billion in revenue.”
The new Starbucks facility will operate independently of the company’s retail joint venture with Tata Consumer Products in India. Starbucks currently operates around 500 cafes in the country through that partnership.
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