India is one of the five fastest-growing markets for Starbucks globally. Though India is primarily a tea-drinking nation, the number of coffee drinkers is also growing significantly and there is a huge potential for future growth.
Though size-wise, the United States is the largest market for Starbucks, They are on a growth path in India and opened more than 80 stores in the country in 2024. It has now around 485 stores in India including smaller towns in the country. These observations were made by Sushant Dash, CEO, TATA Starbucks, in an interaction with THE WEEK
“Growth is now coming in from everywhere in the country. We have opened outlets in smaller towns such as Raipur, Salem, Nellore, Gangtok etc. In Mumbai, we have 100 stores followed by Delhi where we have 75 stores and now we have opened our 50th store in Bengaluru. Altogether we are present in around 77 towns in India and growing day by day,” remarked Dash during the interaction.
Dash mentioned that Shanghai city in China tops the world with the largest number of 1000 stores for Starbucks anywhere in the world. He said that a lot of innovations were on in India and they were keeping the Indian taste preferences in mind while opening their stores in the country. For instance, Dash observed that consumers in India consume small quantities of coffee in one go compared to the US where they prefer large quantities so they had designed. Keeping this in mind they have designed 'Picco' small quantity of coffee serving for India. Similarly in the US, they prefer only coffee at many stores but in India, people prefer to eat something alongwith coffee and a place where they can sit and relx.
Dash also said that they had designed many food menus keeping the local taste preferences in mind. He said that in Bengaluru they had reached a landmark 50th store which is the city's first drive-thru store marking the initiation of Starbucks' next phase of growth across southern India. At the same time they have plans for a new reserve store in India, located in Bengaluru, later this year.
The new drive-thru store has signage in English and Kannada and the space reflects the city’s tech-forward energy and its deep-rooted coffee culture. Curated artwork and a vibrant accent ceiling add to this store's environment, while indoor and outdoor seating encourages moments of connection. The menu offerings include Arabica coffee sourced from Indian estates and also local flavour palettes with local favourites like masala chai and filter coffee.
Starbucks entered the Indian market in October 2012 through a 50/50 Joint Venture with Taa Consumer Products Limited. The venture has around more than 4,000 partners (employees). Starbucks stores are operated by the joint venture, Tata Starbucks Private Limited, and branded as Starbucks Coffee.
