Starbucks Chennai GCC: 800 Tech Jobs to Be Created

CHENNAI: US based coffee company Starbucks has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government to establish a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Chennai. The proposed centre is expected to create high-paying employment opportunities for around 800 technology professionals.

The MoU was signed on September 21, 2026, in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat. The agreement was signed with Guidance Tamil Nadu, the State government’s investment promotion agency.

This will be Starbucks’ first Global Capability Centre in India. The centre will operate independently of the company’s retail business partnership with Tata Consumer Products in India.

Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan said India is an important country for the company and highlighted Chennai’s availability of skilled technology professionals. He also pointed to factors including skilled talent, employee retention, infrastructure and incentives provided by the Tamil Nadu government as important factors that could support the company’s plans to develop new solutions and expand its business.

The establishment of the Starbucks GCC is expected to contribute to the growth of Tamil Nadu’s GCC ecosystem and create additional opportunities for technology professionals in the State. Recent reporting also indicates that Chennai continues to attract global companies setting up technology and business-service centres.

The agreement follows the recent decision by US-based Walgreens to establish its first India GCC in Chennai, with plans to create 250 high-value jobs.

Following the signing, Chief Minister Vijay said the decision by Starbucks to establish its global capability centre in Chennai was a significant development for the State. He said the investment would create new employment opportunities for skilled youth and further strengthen Tamil Nadu’s position as a destination for technology and high-value business operations.

The event was attended by Industries Minister S. Keerthana, Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department S. Vijayakumar, Guidance Tamil Nadu Managing Director and CEO Deepak Jacob, and Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Anand Varadarajan.