Starbucks to Set Up First India GCC in Chennai, Create 800 Tech Jobs

Starbucks is expanding its India footprint beyond its retail business with plans to establish its first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Chennai, creating around 800 technology jobs in the initial phase.

The US-based coffee chain has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government for the centre. The investment value has not been disclosed.

The Chennai GCC will operate independently of Starbucks’ retail joint venture with Tata Consumer Products. Starbucks currently operates around 500 cafés in India through the partnership.

According to Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan, India remains an important market for the company, while Chennai offers access to skilled technology professionals, relatively lower attrition, strong infrastructure and government incentives. 

“Chennai has abundant skilled tech talent, employees here tend to stay longer with companies (less attrition), the state has excellent infrastructure, and the incentives offered by the Tamil Nadu government will help in finding new solutions and growing the business,” he shared.

These factors are expected to support the company in developing new solutions and expanding its global technology capabilities.

The move reflects the growing role of India’s GCC ecosystem, with global companies increasingly using their Indian centres for higher-value functions such as software development, finance, product development and research and development, rather than traditional back-office operations.

India is currently home to more than 2,100 GCCs employing approximately 2.36 million people, generating nearly US$100 billion in revenue, according to a 2026 Nasscom-Zinnov report cited by Reuters. Chennai accounts for roughly a tenth of India's GCC base.

Starbucks’ announcement comes shortly after US pharmacy company Walgreens also announced plans for a GCC in Chennai, further adding to the city’s growing profile as a hub for global technology and business operations.