US coffee chain Starbucks is set to establish its first technology hub in India in Chennai, with the facility expected to create around 800 technology jobs in its initial phase. The company has selected Chennai as the location for the new hub as part of its broader technology strategy and plans to begin recruitment in the first quarter of FY27.
Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan announced the Chennai selection in a message to the company’s technology team. The new hub will support Starbucks’ global business and work closely with technology and business teams in the US and other locations.
According to Starbucks, the Chennai facility will also help the company bring more work currently handled by third-party service providers in-house over time. The company said this will allow it to strengthen the capabilities and talent required to support its partners, coffeehouses and customers globally.
The Chennai centre will be part of Starbucks’ broader global technology organisation rather than operating as a standalone team. The company said the new location will connect with its existing technology operations in Seattle, Nashville, London and Hong Kong.
Starbucks had earlier announced that it was planning a new technology hub in India as part of a multi-site technology strategy. After evaluating potential locations, the company selected Chennai based on several factors, including access to a deep pool of technology talent, strong talent retention and the ability to support its long-term business requirements.
Varadarajan also highlighted Chennai’s technology workforce, infrastructure and employee retention as factors behind the decision. The Tamil Nadu government has additionally pointed to incentives offered to the company as part of the agreement.
The Chennai facility is expected to create around 800 high-value technology jobs. The centre will support Starbucks’ global technology and business requirements, although the company has not yet disclosed a detailed breakdown of the roles or the total investment planned for the facility. Reuters reported that the Tamil Nadu government had not disclosed the investment amount.
The new technology operation will be separate from Starbucks’ retail business in India. Starbucks operates its Indian coffeehouse business through a joint venture with Tata Consumer Products and has roughly 500 cafes in the country. The Chennai technology hub will instead form part of Starbucks’ global technology organisation.
Starbucks said the Chennai office is still in the early stages of development. Over the coming months, the company will work on local hiring, office readiness and the operating structure required for the new hub. Recruitment is expected to begin in Q1, with further details to be announced as plans are finalised.
The move comes as multinational companies continue to expand their Global Capability Centre presence in India. Chennai already hosts technology and business operations for several global companies, while the city has been attracting additional GCC investments. Starbucks’ announcement follows Walgreens’ decision to establish its own GCC in Chennai.
GCCs in India have increasingly moved beyond traditional back-office functions, with multinational companies using them for software development, finance, research and development and other technology-intensive operations. Reuters reported that India’s GCC ecosystem is increasingly being used for higher-value work supporting global headquarters.
For Starbucks, the Chennai hub adds an India-based location to its wider technology footprint and provides another centre from which the company can build capabilities for its global operations. The company said the aim is to create stronger connections between technology teams across locations and support shared priorities for its partners, coffeehouses and customers.
The Chennai technology hub is therefore being positioned as part of Starbucks’ global technology network rather than simply an India-focused support centre. With local hiring expected to begin in the coming months, the company is now moving into the next stages of establishing its India technology operation.
