US coffee chain Starbucks plans global tech centre in India

​US coffee chain ‌Starbucks has signed ​a pact to set up a global capability ‌centre (GCC) in the southern Indian city of Chennai, creating roughly 800 technology jobs, the Tamil Nadu state ‌government said on Monday. Starbucks, which has roughly 500 ‌cafes in India through its joint venture with Tata Consumer Products, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for ⁠comment ​outside office hours.

The ⁠move comes days after US pharmacy chain Walgreens signed a ⁠pact with the Tamil Nadu government to establish ​a GCC in the state's capital, already home ⁠to tech centres of global corporates including Citi, Barclays and ⁠American ​Express. GCCs have moved beyond low-cost back-office support, with global business groups using these centres ⁠to support headquarters through higher-value functions such as finance and software ⁠development, ⁠as well as research and development.