Starbucks ties up with Tatas for India foray

Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain, has tied up with Tata Coffee for its India foray, ending months of speculation. In a statement, the two companies said that they would jointly explore the development of Starbucks retail outlets in India. As a first step of its India strategy, Starbucks would source beans from Tata Coffee’s Coorg facility in south India. At a later phase, the two companies would invest in additional facilities and roasting green coffee for export to other markets. Starbucks, which has changed its logo by dropping the company name, has been looking to enter India for some time and was in discussions with several corporates with retail and real estate interests, including Bharti Group, DLF Retail, DB Realty and Jubilant Group. “India is one of the most dynamic markets in the world with a diverse culture and tremendous potential,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO, Starbucks Coffee Company. “This MoU is the first step in our entry to India. We are focused on exploring local sourcing and roasting opportunities with the thousands of coffee farmers within the Tata ecosystem. We believe India can be an important source for coffee in the domestic market, as well as across the many regions globally where Starbucks has operations.”