Starbucks to set up Global Capability Centre in Chennai, create 800 jobs

The Tamil Nadu government has clinched another deal in the Global Capability Centre (GCC) arena, with it inking an MoU with Starbucks, which will be setting up its GCC in Chennai.

An official release said that the MoU was signed on Monday (September 21, 2026) in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce S. Keerthana, Industries Secretary S. Vijayakumar, and Guidance CEO and Managing Director Deepak Jacob.

Guidance is the nodal agency instrumental in bringing investments into the State.

The MoU with Starbucks is expected to create 800 high-value jobs in its first phase. Sources who were part of this deal said the Industries Minister had sent a communication to Starbucks to facilitate this deal.

Ms. Keerthana said: “We are delighted to welcome Starbucks to Tamil Nadu. A global brand of Starbucks’ stature choosing Chennai to establish its Global Capability Centre is a strong endorsement of our talent, our capabilities, and the business environment we are building in Tamil Nadu.”

She added, “We will continue to engage closely with investors and do everything possible to facilitate their growth in the State.” In a post on X, she said, “We just brewed something strong. From rich filter kaapi to Starbucks, Tamil Nadu’s story is going global.”

Last week, the Tamil Nadu government had signed a deal with Walgreens. More recently, the State also signed MoUs with Chubb, an insurance company. Its GCC will handle claims processing, AI-driven underwriting, fraud detection, and captive operations serving Chubb’s Asia-Pacific portfolio.

Nordex, the German wind turbine manufacturer and a global leader in renewable energy technology, also signed an MoU recently to establish a GCC here, focused on product engineering and technology innovation.

Tamil Nadu hosts over 450 Global Capability Centres, representing approximately 10-15% of India’s entire GCC ecosystem, making it the third-largest GCC hub after Karnataka and Telangana.