Starbucks has signed an agreement with the Tamil Nadu government to set up its first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India in Chennai, a move expected to create about 800 technology jobs in the first phase.
The memorandum of understanding was signed on Monday, 21 September, between the state’s investment promotion agency, Guidance, and Starbucks, the Tamil Nadu government said. The government did not disclose the investment figure. According to Business Today, the centre will be set up at the Ramanujan IT Park in Taramani, with technology professionals expected to earn around ₹35 lakh per annum, citing sources.
The GCC will serve as a technology hub for Starbucks’ global operations, spanning higher-value functions such as software development, finance and research and development. The availability of a skilled workforce, lower attrition and good infrastructure would help the company, Starbucks technology chief Anand Varadarajan said, according to a state government release.
Starbucks operates roughly 500 cafes in India through its joint venture with Tata Consumer Products, and the GCC marks its first move to build a technology and business operations base in the country. The pact comes days after US pharmacy chain Walgreens signed a similar agreement with Tamil Nadu, whose capital already hosts technology centres for Citi, Barclays and American Express. Chennai accounts for roughly a tenth of the country’s GCC base, according to the state government.
India has emerged as the world’s largest GCC hub, with more than 2,100 centres employing about 2.36 million people and generating nearly $100 billion in revenue, according to a 2026 Nasscom-Zinnov report. The Starbucks announcement adds a globally recognised consumer brand to a Chennai ecosystem that has increasingly drawn banking, retail and healthcare capability centres.
