Starbucks has signed a pact with Tamil Nadu to set up a global capability centre in Chennai, where it plans to hire roughly 800 technology professionals. The state government announced the agreement on September 21.

The centre will be Starbucks’ first global capability centre in India and will operate independently of its retail joint venture with Tata Consumer Products, through which the chain runs about 500 cafes in India. The investment figure was not disclosed.

Starbucks technology chief Anand Varadarajan cited Chennai’s skilled workforce, lower attrition and good infrastructure as reasons for the choice. The move follows a similar pact by US pharmacy chain Walgreens days earlier, also in Chennai.

The announcement fits a larger trend. India has emerged as the world’s largest hub for global capability centres, with more than 2,100 centres employing about 2.36 million people and generating nearly $100 billion in revenue, according to a 2026 Nasscom-Zinnov report cited by Reuters.