US coffee chain Starbucks plans global tech centre in India

US coffee giant Starbucks has agreed to establish a global capability centre (GCC) in Chennai, southern India, the Tamil Nadu state government announced on September 21. The new facility is expected to generate around 800 technology jobs. Starbucks, which currently operates approximately 500 cafes in India through a joint venture with Tata Consumer Products, has not yet commented on the development.

This move follows a recent agreement between US pharmacy chain Walgreens and the Tamil Nadu government to set up a similar GCC in the state capital. Chennai is already known for hosting tech centers of global corporations such as Citi, Barclays, and American Express. GCCs have evolved beyond providing low-cost back-office support; they are now utilized by major business groups to support headquarters through higher-value functions like finance, software development, research and development.