72
/ 2
Min Read
Expanding its technology operations in India, Starbucks is setting up its first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in the country in Chennai.
The US coffee chain has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state government’s investment promotion agency, to establish the centre. The Chennai facility is expected to create around 800 technology jobs.
The new GCC will serve as a technology hub for Starbucks’ global operations, working closely with the company’s technology and business teams in the US and other markets.
The Chennai centre will operate independently of Starbucks’ retail business in India, which is run through its joint venture with Tata Consumer Products. Instead, the GCC will be part of Starbucks’ global technology organisation.
Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan said the company evaluated factors including Chennai’s technology talent pool, infrastructure, employee retention and government support before selecting the city for the centre.
As part of the expansion, Starbucks also plans to gradually bring some technology functions currently managed by third-party service providers in-house.
Recruitment and preparations for the Chennai technology centre are expected to take place over the coming months.
The move comes as India continues to emerge as a key destination for multinational companies establishing GCCs. According to the latest Nasscom-Zinnov India GCC Landscape report, the country had 2,117 GCCs employing around 2.36 million people in FY2026.
The sector generated approximately $98.4 billion in revenue during the year, with the number of GCCs rising significantly since FY2021.
Starbucks’ Chennai centre will add another multinational technology operation to India’s expanding GCC ecosystem and deepen the company’s technology presence in the country.
