Starbucks to Open Chennai Tech Hub With 800 Jobs Under Tamil Nadu Pact

Starbucks (SBUX) signed an agreement with India's Tamil Nadu state government on September 21, 2026, to establish a global capability center in Chennai employing roughly 800 technology workers. The state did not disclose the investment size. Starbucks technology chief Anand Varadarajan cited Chennai's talent pool, low employee turnover and infrastructure as deciding factors. Chennai hosts technology centers for Citi, Barclays and American Express, and accounts for about a tenth of India's global capability center base. The move follows a similar Tamil Nadu agreement this week by Walgreens. India leads the world with more than 2,100 global capability centers employing about 2.36 million people and generating nearly $100 billion in revenue, per a 2026 Nasscom-Zinnov report. Starbucks operates roughly 500 India cafes via a Tata Consumer Products joint venture. CEO Brian Niccol said global comparable store sales rose 7.9% in the fiscal third quarter ended June 28.