Starbucks to Set Up First India GCC in Chennai, Plans 800 Technology Jobs
-
Khushi Jain
- September 21, 2026
US coffee chain Starbucks is set to establish its first global capability centre (GCC) in India in Chennai, with the facility expected to create 800 technology jobs in Tamil Nadu.
The company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state government’s investment promotion agency, in the presence of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday. The Tamil Nadu government said the Chennai facility will be Starbucks’ first GCC in India.
Starbucks has described the Chennai facility as a new Technology Hub that will support its global business and work closely with technology and business teams in the US and other parts of the company.
The Tamil Nadu government said the centre will operate independently of Starbucks’ retail joint venture in India with Tata Consumer Products. However, the Chennai office will remain part of Starbucks’ broader global technology organisation rather than operate as a separate or standalone team.
Starbucks CTO Anand Varadarajan said access to skilled technology professionals, strong employee retention, infrastructure and government incentives were among the factors behind the choice of Chennai.
“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,” Varadarajan said.
The hub will also allow Starbucks to bring more work currently carried out by third-party service providers in-house over time.
The company is still in the early stages of establishing the centre, with local recruitment and office preparations expected to take place over the coming months.
The investment comes as India’s GCC sector continues to expand.
India had 2,117 GCCs employing about 2.36 million people in FY2026, according to the latest Nasscom-Zinnov India GCC Landscape report. The sector generated $98.4 billion in revenue, while the number of GCCs had increased by 32% since FY2021.
In FY2025, GCCs had added about 110,000 employees, compared with 100,000 at IT services companies, according to the same data.
Starbucks’ decision to establish its Chennai technology operation adds another multinational company to India’s expanding GCC ecosystem and gives the coffee chain an India-based technology hub to support its global business.
FAQs
1. Where will Starbucks establish its first GCC in India?
Starbucks will establish its first India GCC in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
2. How many technology jobs is the Starbucks Chennai facility expected to create?
The facility is expected to create 800 technology jobs in Tamil Nadu.
3. Who signed the MoU with Starbucks?
Starbucks signed the MoU with Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state government’s investment promotion agency.
4. What will Starbucks’ Chennai Technology Hub do?
The hub will support Starbucks’ global business and work with technology and business teams in the US and other parts of the company.
5. How many GCCs did India have in FY2026?
India had 2,117 GCCs employing about 2.36 million people in FY2026.
